After the Crash: Kansas City Whiplash Treatment
You’re sitting in your car in downtown Kansas City at a light waiting to turn, and suddenly another car hits you from behind.
“Oh, great,” you think.
You pull away from traffic onto a side street to assess the damage with the person who hit you. Adrenaline (cortisol) is rushing through your body so that you can think clearly and assess the situation. You exchange insurance information, call the police to take down a report, and either drive home or have your car towed.
Later that night, when you’ve begun to sort things out, you notice you’ve got a headache and some neck pain. People who experience auto injuries sometimes don’t realize they’ve been injured until several hours after the accident when symptoms of whiplash and neck pain become more obvious. It’s only then that they consider seeking whiplash treatment.
Over 3 million people in the United States will suffer a whiplash injury this year.
So what is Whiplash, anyway?
Whiplash results when the head is suddenly jerked backward and forward beyond it’s normal limits. This can result in muscle damage and soft tissue injuries. When you’re sitting at a stoplight and someone hits your rear bumper, your reaction is to slam on your breaks. This causes the neck to be jerked back. The soft tissues that support your head and neck can tear as the bones in your neck flex and extend. This results in a neck strain, or whiplash.
Many people experience whiplash symptoms for weeks and even years after the car accident. Patients recover more quickly if they receive whiplash treatment immediately following the accident. Below is a list of common symptoms you might be experiencing. If you have 2 or more of the symptoms below and have recently been in a car accident, you most-likely have a whiplash injury.
Whiplash Symptoms
- headaches – irritated nerves from the violent forward and backward movement of the head
- low back pain – caused by the seatbelt pressing down on the hips when they are in an unprotected position
- neck pain or stiffness – caused by an injured facet joint
- nausea – irritated nerves at the base of the skull can interfere with eye movements
- vertigo (dizziness) – caused by nerve interference with the inner ear
- numbness or tingling in the arms – irritated nerves originating in the spine run down the arms causing this sensation
- trouble sleeping – caused by irritability and pain
- reduced range-of-motion – caused by a pinched or irritated nerve in the cervical spine
Although whiplash is a common injury, many car accident victims don’t seek whiplash treatment because they don’t understand how to treat it or where to go.
Still Think You Have Whiplash? – What You Should Do
- Ice – During the first 24 hours after the auto injury, apply ice to the areas of the body that feel sore. It’s best to apply it for about 20 minutes. Then wait 40 minutes before applying it again for 20 minutes.
- Gentle Massage – Have a friend gently massage sore areas with her fingertips.
- Chiropractic Treatment – Schedule an appointment with your local chiropractor as soon as possible so that he can access
the severity of your injury. Chiropractors specialize in whiplash treatment and are highly trained to diagnose and treat all injuries related to car accidents. Through chiropractic adjustments and chiropractic therapy, chiropractors have experienced much success in restoring movement to neck joints that are locked or fixated. Followed by targets physical therapy, chiropractic treatment has been shown to be the most-effective form of treating a whiplash injury. - Movement – Gentle and relaxed movement, such as walking, can speed up the healing process. If you must lift something, remember to use proper lifting techniques and take breaks throughout your work day to ensure proper head and neck alignment if you’re working at a desk or using your mobile device regularly. Developing these habits will help to prevent future injuries and allow your body the time it needs to heal properly.
The Kansas City chiropractors at Fulk Chiropractic specialize in treating whiplash injuries. Open 7 Days a Week, they often treat patients within hours – and sometimes even minutes of the accident. This results in quicker healing for the patients involved. If you have been involved in a car accident, it’s important to be evaluated as soon as possible. Our clinic offers 24 hour emergency services and one of our doctors is always on-call. Learn more about us or call 913-764-6237 to schedule an appointment today.