Whiplash complaints after a car accident: now what?

I’m sure you’ve heard about car accidents and the whiplash injuries they can cause. However, not everyone knows that it’s important to have your spine checked by a chiropractor after a car accident, even if you don’t have any symptoms. In this blog post I’ll explain what happens to your body in a car accident so that hopefully you will see the importance of going to a chiropractor if you’ve ever been in an accident.

Whiplash is a common injury from a car accident. It happens during the impact of the accident when your head is suddenly moved back and forth and side to side. This affects the muscles and bones in your neck. Don’t think you can only get whiplash injuries after major accidents; a change of speed of 2-3 miles per hour during the accident can cause them. That’s why people can get whiplash injuries from accidents that don’t seem that bad and where there wasn’t a lot of damage to the car.

Some people immediately feel stiff or sore after a car accident, or have neck or back pain, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes it can take days, weeks or even months before symptoms show up. This is because your body can often compensate for misaligned bones in your spine that were caused by the whipping motion during the accident. However, due to other physical stressors on your spine like a bad posture, over time your body won’t be able to compensate anymore, and the misalignments that weren’t addressed can start causing symptoms later on.

Whiplash can cause the following symptoms:
– Neck pain and stiffness
– Headaches
– Shoulder pain
– Arm pain, tingling or numbness
– Back pain
– Dizziness
– Fatigue

When you experience pain immediately after an accident, muscles around the painful area will most likely tighten up. Putting ice on the area for 5-10 minutes at a time may help with the pain initially, and the first couple of days you will probably not feel like moving around. However, after 3 days it becomes very important to start normal movements again, otherwise your recovery might be more difficult and you could end up with chronic pain.

If you’re having trouble with normal movements the bones in your spine could be misaligned, restricting normal motion. It’s important to see a chiropractor as soon as possible after an accident, even if you’re not experiencing any of the symptoms yet. A chiropractor can check your spine to see if there are any misalignments, and fix them where necessary. This way you’re giving your body the best chance for a quick recovery, and you can prevent problems later on.

Have you ever had a car accident and do you want to have your spine checked? Make an appointment online today.