Why You Should Never Ignore Neck Pain After a Car Accident

If you’ve recently been in a car accident and are experiencing neck pain that just won’t go away, you could be suffering from a whiplash injury.

Whiplash occurs when your neck moves backward and forward quickly and forcibly — a common occurrence in vehicle collisions. This movement causes the ligaments, muscles, and other tissues in your neck to stretch far beyond their normal range of motion. 

Whiplash in most cases is considered a mild condition, but it can cause long-term pain and discomfort if it’s left untreated.

Our chiropractic team at AllCare Chiropractic wants you to understand how whiplash can affect your long-term health and well-being. Below, we discuss whiplash and how we treat this condition.

Signs of whiplash

A great deal of force is placed on your neck and spine when you suffer a whiplash injury, and that can cause extensive damage. Symptoms of whiplash include:

• Neck pain
• Neck stiffness
• Decreased range of motion
• Blurred vision
• Headaches
• Neck instability
• Shoulder pain
• Upper back pain
• Tingling sensations or weakness in your arms and hands

It’s common for there to be a delay before signs of whiplash appear, so it’s important to track whatever physical symptoms you experience after an auto accident or any other kind of accident.

If you have any of these symptoms, don’t hesitate to seek treatment from the whiplash experts here at AllCare Chiropractic to avoid long-term consequences like chronic pain and stiffness.

Diagnosing whiplash

Whiplash is diagnosed during an in-office consultation. First, you and your provider discuss your medical history, the accident that caused your injury, and your symptoms. Your provider then performs an exam to assess the flexibility of your neck and your range of motion.

Next, we may order orthopedic tests to check for injured ligaments or other soft tissues. If necessary, we may recommend X-rays or an MRI to see the extent of the damage in your neck.

Treating whiplash

Once we’ve completed the exam and diagnosed whiplash, we can customize a treatment plan that works best for you. Treatment plans vary but likely involve some combination of chiropractic care, physical therapy, and rehabilitation.

These therapies work together to improve range of motion, decrease stiffness and pain, and strengthen the damaged muscles and ligaments in your neck.

If you’ve been in a car accident and think you might have whiplash, don’t wait to seek medical help. For diagnosis and treatment of whiplash, call us or book your appointment online today.