Whiplash Injuries and Chiropractic

headaches and neck pain

When you think of whiplash, most people immediately think “car accident.” But a fall or many types of repetitive movement may also cause whiplash. Sometimes the symptoms from whiplash take days or even weeks to manifest themselves, but the damage it causes can last for years.

What exactly is whiplash? It’s a condition in which the joints in the back of the neck, joints that usually slide easily over one another, are forced together, causing damage to the nerves, discs, ligaments and muscles all around them.

The symptoms of whiplash? Generally, these include headaches, dizziness, neck and arm pain, decreased attention span, an inability to focus and fatigue. These symptoms can be both very painful and downright debilitating to the whiplash sufferer.

It helps to come into our office immediately for a thorough examination if you have been involved in an accident and suspect that you might be the victim of a whiplash injury. The earlier you establish the proper intervention, via chiropractic adjustments, the better your chances for a full recovery.

Of course, chiropractic adjustments also help older whiplash injuries, but recovery is usually slower and care during the acute phase generally takes longer.

We manage whiplash injuries with careful and precise neck adjustments, sometimes ice and rehabilitative exercises that are designed to address the injured neck and shoulder muscles and joints. This has been shown to be very effective in managing the symptoms of whiplash, particularly the headaches that often accompany this type of injury.

Dr. Ryan Asks some important questions of interest to Grand Rapids residents - Chiropractor Grand Rapids Dr. Ryan Asks...

How come medical doctors don't recommend chiropractic?
That's changing. Years of prejudice and bias are giving way to research showing the benefits of chiropractic care. As more and more Grand Rapids folks seek alternatives to drugs and surgery, more and more medical practitioners are referring their patients to chiropractors.
Do nerves actually get pinched?
Chiropractors recognize two types of nerve disorders involved in vertebral subluxation. The least common is a pinched nerve that diminishes nerve supply to an affected organ or tissue. More common is the irritated nerve (facilitative lesion) which overexcites nerve communications to an affected organ or tissue. Chiropractic care has been shown to help with both types.