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Have you ever heard of whiplash? This type of injury can happen in the blink of an eye and can take about 24 hours before you feel its actual impact. Whiplash patients pursuing neck pain relief in Hiawatha are familiar with how this injury can manifest in several symptoms. The most common is severe neck pain with bouts of headaches, stiffness in the neck, and sharp pain in the shoulders or back.
If you recently got into a vehicular accident, we recommend that you seek professional care immediately to get proper care after experiencing whiplash. Ignoring the injury and the initial onset of pain may cause more negative health impacts and discomfort.
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Whiplash in a nutshell
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Sep 11, 2022When you hear whiplash, it might be a cause for concern. Experiencing whiplash is usually unnatural and potentially dangerous, and it can have short-term and long-term effects on your overall well-being.
Simply put, whiplash is an injury stemming from a traumatic, sudden, and rapid back-and-forth neck movement, like how you swing a whip. Typically, a strong force is involved when whiplash takes place, but it can also happen due to rapid overextension of the neck. People who experience whiplash usually feel the effects in their neck muscles, tissues, tendons, nerves, and spine.
How Whiplash Happens
Car accidents such as rear-end collisions are the most common cause of whiplash. Other events where your head and neck rock back and forth at an unprecedented speed or intensity may lead to whiplash. Some examples of these events include:
- Roller coaster rides
- Skiing accidents
- Boxing, football, extreme sports, or karate injuries
- Physical abuse
- Horseback riding
- Accidents that involve slips and fall
- Bicycle accidents
- Fall from heights
Why You Should Not Ignore Whiplash
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Jul 10, 2022Whiplash can sometimes be just simple neck pain. But what's challenging about this injury is not everyone experiences the same set of symptoms. Some may have it worse than others, and there's no single formula to follow to know how severely it affects you.
There are times when this supposedly simple injury leads to something more serious. If you have a sustained whiplash injury, we encourage you to see a healthcare professional for neck pain relief in Hiawatha to get proper care and avoid further neck damage.
Whiplash can make every neck turn or movement feel intense stress and pressure on your head, neck, and spine. Mobility problems may also arise when you leave the pain unaddressed.
Here are some reasons why you should not ignore a potential whiplash injury:
Upper neck misalignment
Your C1 and C2 vertebrae in your neck area are susceptible to misalignments. As a result, these bones are likely to fall out of alignment in a whiplash injury. When this happens, you may experience various health issues and a reduced range of motion in the neck and head.
This can also lead to disrupted communication between the brain and body. A misalignment puts unnecessary stress and pressure on your brainstem, a nervous system organ responsible for transmitting signals and messages to and from your brain. Unfortunately, many people seeking neck pain relief in Hiawatha are unaware that they have upper neck misalignment.
Vertigo
Vertigo is a symptom that brings dizzy spells and spinning sensations even if you are keeping still. Loss of balance is one of the after-effects of vertigo which can significantly interfere with your life. Whiplash can force your spine to shift out of its correct alignment, which can substantially contribute to the development of cervical vertigo.
Chronic headache
Your neck and head are closely connected, and your unaddressed whiplash injury often brings unwanted bouts of chronic headaches that radiate from the back of the upper neck to the base of the skull. Unfortunately, chronic headaches usually bring other symptoms and health concerns, including dizziness, nausea, weakness, and fatigue.
Chronic neck pain
Following a whiplash injury, you may experience stiffness in your neck that can lead to long-term issues or a limited range of motion. You may find even menial daily tasks challenging to fulfill if this happens due to unhealed swelling or inflammation in your neck.
Upper Cervical Care: The Key to Neck Pain Relief in Hiawatha
The impact of whiplash on the neck often leads to an upper cervical misalignment, a gateway to more health issues that can affect your overall health and wellness. Fortunately for whiplash patients needing neck pain relief in Hiawatha, there's a safe, natural, and non-invasive care option in the form of upper cervical chiropractic care.
A licensed chiropractic doctor performs upper cervical chiropractic care and focuses on fixing your upper neck alignment by gently manipulating and moving your C1 (atlas) and C2 (axis) vertebrae. With the help of the upper cervical chiropractic technique, you not just help alleviate symptoms but also help fix the root cause of whiplash symptoms. This will allow your neck and the rest of the body to restore their optimal health and utilize their self-healing capability.
What To Expect When You Visit An Upper Cervical Chiropractor
Step 1: Consultation and tests
Especially for first-timers, the upper cervical chiropractic doctor will usually begin by gathering enough information about your neck for them to get a clear view of your concern. You will also need to get your neck bones scanned using X-ray equipment to obtain the measurements required for the adjustments. This gives our upper cervical doctor a clearer view of your neck and how to approach the whole situation and apply the correct procedures that best fit your needs.
Step 2: Discuss and plan
After gathering x-rays and other necessary tests, we will soon discuss the results of your x-rays and carefully analyze them. Then, we will devise a precise adjustment plan to restore your C1 and C2 vertebrae to proper alignment.
Step 3: Adjustment
Once Dr. Reis has gathered all the information and tests needed, you will begin receiving the gentle adjustments to your upper neck. You may feel nothing during the adjustment, but many patients have felt relieved after just one session. Observe your previous whiplash symptoms and notice how soon they disappear after every adjustment.
New and Returning Patients Can Visit Atlas Specific Chiropractic
To help relieve your symptoms in the long term, consult with Dr. Reiss about your condition and whiplash symptoms.
If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at https://theneckjoint.com/
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