GENTLE HANDS-ON HEALTH CARE
FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES
(540) 373-1633
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Whiplash? Many people suffer from whiplash and don't know it! Many people who suffer from the effects of whiplash are unaware of their injury at the time of the accident. Q. I was recently in a car accident and felt discomfort in my neck and shoulders. I decided that I would go to the emergency room to have it check out. I was told by the resident there that I was O.K., that my pain would go away in a couple of days. Later I found out that I did in fact suffer whiplash from that accident. Why didn't the Emergency Room pick up on my condition? A. Most medical personnel are not trained in structural trauma and can not identify this type of damage. Doctors of Chiropractic, however, are trained specifically in soft tissue damage as it relates to the neck and back. In addition, our office has successfully diagnosed and treated many whiplash injuries. We suggest that if you are still in pain that you come into our office for an evaluation. Everyone recognizes the symptoms of a severe whiplash, the type of injury that happens in an automobile accident when the head is snapped in a forward and then backward motion. Few people however, realize that even a slight jolt to the neck can result in problems later. The reason is that so many vital nerves, muscles, and blood vessels are located in the neck that even a minor jolt can cause damage. It is important to note that almost every person involved in a moving vehicle accident suffers a whiplash injury to some degree. Whenever there is a sudden jolting of the neck, the delicate spinal tissues can get quickly and sharply pinched between the vertebrae of the neck. This incredibly fast pinching motion causes bleeding of the nerve tissue immediately. (This usually does not cause pain or you may only feel minimal discomfort.) Over time, this injured area that was bleeding can form scar tissue much like a callous on a hand over time. (This scar tissue can cause anything from stiffness to great discomfort.) Much like you don't feel the pain of a cavity until there is damage to a nerve, you won't feel the effects of whiplash until there is enough damage or scar tissue on the nerve, weeks, months, or even years later. So remember, accidents in the past few weeks, months, or years can hide their effects for a long time. Getting a proper checkup immediately will greatly help prevent these long term problems from even developing. Don't let the effects of an injury many years ago continue to affect your life today. Just some of the signs and symptoms of past whiplash injuries are:
If you are suffering from any of these and have a history of an auto accident, even a minor accident, call for an evaluation immediately and break the pain cycle. |
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