Whiplash Injuries Afflict Many People
Anytime someone suffers a sudden and jarring blow from the side or behind, the head can whip around suddenly with a great deal of energy. Whether the cause is a car accident, sports-related incident or a simple slip-and-fall that causes the victim’s head to land hard on the ground, a whiplash injury can be very painful and produce long-lasting medical problems. An experienced chiropractor in Rockville, MD, can provide a variety of effective treatments that alleviate whiplash pain and help victims to recover fully whenever possible.
How Whiplash Injuries Occur
While it takes a sudden and jarring blow from the side or behind to cause a whiplash injury, that actual mechanism is more intricate. The neck is flexible and contains soft discs that help to cushion the vertebrae that make up the spinal cord running from your head and down your backside.
A sudden and jarring blow from the side or behind puts the same kinds of stresses on the neck as a whip experiences when cracking it. That sudden movement transfers energy to the neck and causes the spinal cord to suffer minor injuries from the jarring blow. While most people can prepare themselves for an oncoming blow that they can see before it happens, a sudden blow from the side or behind is wholly unexpected and causes more damage.
The effects are especially bad when the neck whips about in ways it really is not intended. A hard blow from the side could cause excessive neck movement from side to side that is well beyond the normal inputs that your neck normally would endure. That kind of an injury could render a victim incapable of working and trigger a sudden drop in quality of living that the victim never intended.
Signs of Whiplash Injuries
Those who suffer whiplash injuries commonly experience stiffness and pain in the neck that often gets worse when moving the neck around. The stiffness often leads to reduced motion in the neck and could trigger headaches, shoulder pain and tenderness or pain in the upper back. Many sufferers report constant fatigue and tiredness as well as dizziness at times, like when standing up suddenly or bending over to pick up a dropped item.
The reduced range of motion in the neck, ongoing pain and generally tenderness and fatigue can make it very difficult to sleep at night or go through a normal day without enduring a great deal of pain and discomfort. In worst-case scenarios, victims cannot lead normal lives due to the ongoing pain and ill effects of whiplash injuries.
Learn How a Chiropractor in Rockville, MD, Could Help
An experienced chiropractor in Rockville, MD, is a great resource for learning how a whiplash injury might affect your condition. Your chiropractor can discuss effective treatments and therapies, like electro-stimulation, massage, and acupuncture that help to loosen up the neck muscles and promote more rapid healing while relieving pain. Instead of using invasive surgery or potentially addictive prescription pain medication to treat symptoms, your chiropractor can focus on the actual condition and deliver effective treatments to alleviate the problem.
