Whiplash is a commonly missed and serious complication following both minor and severe car accidents. Statistically, over 2 million people nationwide and thousands of people in Chesterfield VA alone suffer from this devastating ailment and its numerous potential long-term complications each year. In many instances, the effects of whiplash are not immediately evident and are overlooked for many years.
As a result, many people fail to seek early treatment and it isn’t until the condition has significantly progressed that they are provided with the appropriate care. Through this article, Elite Spine and Rehab aims to provide you with the knowledge to prevent whiplash in Chesterfield VA from occurring in the first place, assist you in identifying symptoms indicating that an injury has occurred, and help you understand the various treatment options available.
WHIPLASH AND CAR ACCIDENTS IN CHESTERFIELD VA
As indicated above, even car accidents involving speeds as low as 5 mph can provide enough force to cause significant damage. Unfortunately, many minor injuries that occur due to whiplash are often not immediately noticeable. While not noticed right away, these changes often lead to substantial complications later in life. Therefore, it is important to be aware of some of the symptoms indicating that an injury has occurred. Common symptoms following automobile accidents that indicate damage to the neuromuscular and skeletal system include; headaches, problems with the motion of the head and neck, shoulder pain, neck pain, disturbed sleep, abnormal sensations traveling down the arms, and dizziness.
AN IMPORTANT WHIPLASH FACTOR
One of the most important factors in ensuring successful treatment is to identify a health care provider who specializes in whiplash injuries. Fortunately, Elite Spine and Rehab is equipped to identify the presence of injury and provide the appropriate care to resolve the problem. As with any condition, the sooner care is provided the better the results. Therefore, if you have been involved in a car accident, it is important that you have your spine evaluated as soon as possible.
Not only is our office able to provide care following an injury, but we are also concerned with providing you with the knowledge to prevent whiplash from occurring in the first place. A common contributing factor to the development of whiplash is headrests that are positioned too low. Headrests that are placed in the down position can act as a pivot point, facilitating hyperextension and hyper-flexion of the neck during rear-end collisions. As a general rule, headrests should be placed as close to the back of the neck as possible and with the top portion of the headrest level with the top of the ears. In addition to the correct positioning of the headrest, the back of the seat should be in the upright position and seat belts should be worn at all times. Finally, safe driving is an easy way to prevent an accident from occurring in the first place.
CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR AUTO INJURY
Numerous research articles have demonstrated the effectiveness of chiropractic care for patients with whiplash-induced injuries. One article publish in the Journal of the Academy of Chiropractic Orthopedists, showed spinal adjustments to be the most effective form of treatment for decreasing pain and increasing motion in the neck when compared to other various surgical, alternative, and medicinal forms of treatment. Another article documenting the Woodward study showed statistically significant improvement in 93% of the patients who had sustained whiplash injuries and received chiropractic care. Many of these patients had taken NSAIDs and received physiotherapy, PNF, and cryotherapy prior to chiropractic care with minimal benefit.
For many decades, chiropractic care for auto accidents in Chesterfield VA has been shown to be a viable solution for the treatment of whiplash and many other injuries sustained during car accidents. This affordable and non-invasive form of care has been documented by countless research studies to be the most effective treatment for alleviating symptoms of headaches, neck pain, loss of motion, shoulder pain, and dizziness.
The chiropractors at Elite Spine and Rehab have the education and experience to provide effective care for individuals suffering from whiplash-induced symptoms in Elite VA. Contact our office today for information to see if you can benefit from chiropractic care.