It’s essential to be aware that whiplash is not always an obvious injury. You may sustain damage without being aware of it. Even minor impacts can cause long-term harm to your spine and other areas if left untreated. At Eastern Oklahoma Chiropractic, we provide expert care to diagnose and help to minimize injuries from whiplash. 

Symptoms of Whiplash

Whiplash gets its name from the whip-cracking type of forceful motion someone’s neck receives in an impact. It’s typically caused by car accidents, falls, sports injuries, and physical abuse such as being punched or shaken. 

Symptoms of whiplash include:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Lost range of neck motion
• Pain and stiffness in the neck
• Numbness in the arms
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Problems with memory and concentration

Silent Damage from Low-Speed Whiplash 

Although whiplash often comes from high-speed impacts, sometimes it results from rear-end auto collisions as low as five miles per hour. Or from bumps in everyday sports or play that may not show immediate symptoms. 

Someone who experiences this more subtle impact might feel mild symptoms such as headache, or even no signs, and may assume that all is well. However, muscles and joints can become strained or moved out of proper alignment, leading to a gradual progression of misalignment if it goes untreated. We often think that if we’re not in pain after an impact, we’re not injured. But pain can also show up much later, after tissue, joint, or nerve damage from even minor effects causes wear and tear that builds up over time. 

You’re at higher risk for long-term problems if you’ve had whiplash before or if you already had neck or back pain before suffering the whiplash. That’s why your spine and neck’s alignment and strength is so vital to your ability to weather a whiplash injury with minimal damage and an excellent long-term outcome.

Benefits of Chiropractic Treatments for Whiplash

Regular visits with your chiropractor help you feel confident, knowing that if you do experience an impact on your neck, your joints and muscles are in their best possible shape to withstand the injury. If you’re involved in a low-speed collision, a full chiropractic evaluation can diagnose even those silent misalignments that may progress over time.

Treatments may include a neck adjustment, a procedure that precisely aligns the joints in the neck and helps prevent joint degeneration. Patients who’ve had neck adjustments have a better range of motion and decreased pain, not only in their neck but also in adjacent muscles. 

Good chiropractic maintenance is your key to preventing silent injuries from becoming chronic sources of pain. 

Contact our Broken Arrow Office for a Complimentary Initial Consultation

To treat a whiplash injury and for good spinal health, call our friendly Eastern Oklahoma Chiropractic staff at (918) 940-4630. 

The post Preventing Whiplash Damage with Chiropractic Treatments first appeared on Chiropractor Broken Arrow.