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Whiplash

You’re waiting at a stoplight. The sound of screeching tires is followed by the harsh sound of metal hitting metal. Your car is suddenly being pushed forward!

You’re being rear-ended!

In a split second, your body is pushed against your seat. Your head, isolated by your neck, delays its reaction.

Then, your body changes directions, moving forward to the limits of your seatbelt. (You are wearing your seatbelt aren't you!?!) Then your head is snapped backwards. But you can’t stop it.

Even a minor fender bender can produce a whiplash injury. Unfortunately, whiplash is often treated as a simple sprain because in many cases no immediate pain can be detected. A person is often unaware that they have had a whiplash injury at all as it may take a few days, a week or two, or sometimes months for symptoms to appear. Some of the symptoms that one will first detect are stiff neck, headaches, inability to relax, tension in the shoulders and even low back pain. Other signs of whiplash are numbness, tingling and loss of strength in your hands.

Contrary to popular opinion, whiplash is not a specific injury or disease in itself. It is a type of sudden lashing movement that causes a variety of injuries to the neck and upper spine. More specifically whiplash is an involuntary thrust of the head in any direction in which the head recoils in one direction and the neck in another.

Lets consider for a moment, what happens in an rear end collision. Your head weighs from 7-9 pounds. It is fastened to your neck which is made up of 7 small bones and over 30 joints. At the time of impact, your neck is shoved in the direction of the force that hits the car and your head which is heavier than your flexible neck, falls back in the opposite direction. The neck acts like a whip and the head is actually snapped back.

Pain pills won't heal inflamed tendons and ligaments. Muscle relaxers won't heal torn muscles. A cervical collar won't restore a graceful forward spinal curve. Specific chiropractic spinal adjustments, because they can help restore proper motion and position of individual spinal bones, can better assure proper healing. Sometimes a condition requires Spinal Decompression Therapy. Dr. Levy is a spinal specialist, who is trained to correct the misalignment of your neck and spine. Contact our office for an examination! The longer you wait the more unseen damage there is and the longer it may take to recover. Drugs may temporarily reduce the pain, but they simply delay more effective chiropractic care.