A bump in the boot from a car behind you or an emergency stop can all cause some nasty effects on the neck and back. Even worse is a full-on crash, of course.
When all that forward motion (kinetic energy) gets transferred into your body, the moving parts are the ones that feel the effects most. Bruising, micro-tears in muscles and ligaments and damage to joints can occur even at 10-mile-per-hour impacts. The neck is highly susceptible to the classic whiplash effect. This occurs because the head gets thrown forcefully forward and then back very quickly, pulling the ligaments, tendons and discs.
You’re quite likely not to notice any pain at first because the effects are masked by a natural adrenaline rush when the body goes into high alert mode. But don’t leave it. Even if you walked away from the scene of the accident, feeling nothing but shaken and upset, do seek a medical check up (and tell your insurance company that you’re doing so). Bear in mind that soft tissue damage does not show up in X-rays.
Here at Sundial, our chiropractors and physiotherapist are experts at treating whiplash and injuries to joints, discs, muscles and ligaments. Here’s a checklist of symptoms of whiplash – don’t forget, a bump when riding a bicycle or a sports injury can also cause this kind of injury.
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Shoulder pain or pain between the shoulder blades
- Lower back pain
- Numbness or pain the in the arm and hand
- Dizziness, concentration problems, fatigue and sleep problems
WHAT TO DO NEXT
In the past, whiplash injuries were treated via immobilisation using a collar. Nowadays early movement is encouraged rather than complete immobilisation as this has been shown to be a more effective and faster route to recovery.
- Try to do gentle, regular movements rather than keeping your neck still, like the exercise suggested below:
- Use ice to soothe the injured area
- Take pain relief using an appropriate painkiller.
- Come and see us for expert advice on how to get better fast.
If you’re suffering from whiplash, book an appointment with us to find relief. We’re always keen to help.