Whiplash is known as one of the more common car accident injuries, and is usually accompanied by pain and stiffness resulting from damage to the soft tissues of the neck caused by forcing the head forward and backward suddenly. If you have recently been in a car accident and are experiencing stiffness and pain in your neck and upper back, you may have whiplash and should seek proper care.
Whiplash will sometimes heal on its own, but the long-term health effects of whiplash when untreated by a chiropractor in Snellville can result in severe problems as years go by. There’s also no way to tell how bad a case of whiplash is without proper examination by a chiropractor.
Whiplash Symptoms
The most familiar symptoms of whiplash are neck pain and stiffness, but there are other things to be aware of:
- Swelling, redness, bruising, or other discoloration of the neck
- Headache
- Blurred eyesight
- Difficulty concentrating
- Pain in the upper or lower back
- Dizziness
- Difficulty speaking or swallowing
If you have been in a recent auto accident, or other recent physical trauma that may have caused whiplash, and you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, you should contact a chiropractor.
A chiropractor can help to make sure that your whiplash injury heals properly. If your injury doesn’t heal the way that it should, it could result in chronic pain and reduced range of motion, among other things.
If left untreated, whiplash can lead to:
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Horner’s Syndrome
- Chronic vertigo
- Insomnia
- Chronic headaches
- Premature Cervical Spondylosis
- Premature Degenerative Disc Disease
- Disc herniation
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- TMJ Disorder
- Treatment for Whiplash
If you have recently experienced a car accident you should be screened for injuries no more than 24 hours after the accident occurred. Many car insurance providers won’t approve compensation for any treatment advised by a screening that took place over 24 hours after the accident happened. The reason for this is that a time-span of more than 24 hours increases the possibility that something other than the car accident could have caused your injury.
If your whiplash injury happened years ago, chiropractic treatment can still ease your pain and help you heal. Unfortunately, accidents happen, and occasionally injuries can’t be avoided, but proper care is always available.
You deserve the best treatment and care, so contact a chiropractor in Snellville and start healing today.