Whiplash

Whiplash is a horrible disorder for anyone to go through. It is characterised usually by a high impact force that throws your head forward and backwards. But there can also be a rotational component of the head trauma or a sidewards component of the trauma. Whiplash has recently been recognised through American physical contact sports as occurring when the body is hit very hard which results in an abnormal head flicking movement. Directly after whiplash a lot of people might feel some sort of pain in the neck but a lot of people don’t feel any at all. It might take a couple of days or even up to a week for you to start feeling any of the symptoms of whiplash. People who have had one whiplash injury are more likely to have a second injury of a similar nature due to the previous trauma.

Whiplash injuries can affect your neck, but also your brain stem which is the innermost part of your brain, and also most important part of your brain. Given that the whiplash injuries can affect your brain this can cause symptoms such as dizziness, tiredness, fatigue, neck pain, headaches, migraines, muscle injury or strain, trouble sleeping, nerve pain into your neck and arms, pins and needles into your arms, cold hands, or just stiffness in your neck, jaw, shoulders, upper back or even lower back.

A whiplash injury is a serious injury and should be treated as such. Chiropractic care at The Innate Connection for whiplash is designed to assess the impact of the whiplash and decide on appropriate treatment strategy and management program and exercise program for the individual patient.

Our Chiropractors are trained to provide manual and low force techniques to the neck, upper back and lower back for those who are suffering from whiplash associated disorders. This means you can get some relief while your body is healing itself. Our Chiropractors also are able to give advice and reassurance on incidents such as this. They also have experience dealing with WorkCover and the TAC for people who have had injuries at work or on the road.

There are a lot of people who suffer the whiplash associated disorders when they are knocked out. Football players, boxers and anyone who has had a significant fall to the point where they have blanked out, will often have a whiplash disorder as well- due to the mechanism of the knockout. When someone is knocked unconscious, the brain stem, which is in the inner part of their skull and very close to the top of their neck, will have had a significant twisting motion put through it. This is the only brain mechanism that can cause someone to blackout. There has been studies on mice where the scientists use a mouses head to simulate a head trauma, where the trauma was front on, and one where there was trauma with a rotational component. All of the rats with the rotational component became unconscious. This shows us that the rotation is what causes the unconsciousness and because that happens in the brain stem or lower part of the brain which is near the upper part of your neck we know that in order for you to become unconscious there must have been some kind of neck twisting or trauma. Given we know this, it is important to have the upper part of your neck examined for any dysfunction, fractures or ligament strains that may have arisen been resulting or occurred while you were unconscious.

There is a growing importance on the acknowledgement and awareness around whiplash and brain function. Children are at the heart of this. Contact sports and falls from playgrounds and trees often result in whiplash incidents that parents are unaware of. If your child seems grumpy, tired, lazy or complains of next stiffness or headaches it is important to have them see an appropriate health care provider. Our Chiropractors are primary healthcare providers which means they’re able to see, treat and diagnose patients without referral. If you would like to organise a time to have you or a family member assessed due to a current or past whiplash injury that you feel like may still be impacting you, please give us a call and we will organise a time to help.

20 Facts About Whiplash

1. Whiplash is a type of neck injury caused by a sudden, forceful movement of the head in one direction, followed by an immediate return to its original position.

2. Whiplash is most commonly caused by car accidents, but it can also be caused by sports–related accidents and falls.

3. Symptoms of whiplash include neck pain, stiffness, headaches, dizziness, and tingling or numbness in the arms or legs.

4. In some cases, whiplash can lead to long–term pain and disability.

5. Whiplash is diagnosed through a physical examination, imaging tests, and other tests such as a CT scan or an MRI.

6. Treatment for whiplash may include over–the–counter or prescription medications, physical therapy, and in some cases, surgery.

7. The most effective treatment for whiplash is usually a combination of several different treatments.

8. Most people with whiplash recover in a few weeks or months, although some people may experience long–term effects.

9. Whiplash is most common in people aged 20–44.

10. The most common cause of whiplash is rear–end car accidents.

11. Whiplash is sometimes referred to as a “neck sprain” or “neck strain”.

12. Symptoms of whiplash often appear immediately after the injury occurs, but can also take several hours or days to develop.

13. Whiplash can cause permanent changes in the structure of the neck and spine.

14. Whiplash can cause damage to the nerves, muscles, ligaments, and discs in the neck.

15. It is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible if you experience symptoms of whiplash.

16. Research suggests that the use of a headrest can reduce the risk of whiplash in a car accident.

17. Wearing a seat belt may also reduce the risk of whiplash in a car accident.

18. Whiplash is most often treated with rest, medication, physical therapy, and in some cases, surgery.

19. Treatment for whiplash can vary depending on the severity of the injury.

20. Whiplash is a serious injury that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment.