It started with a routine trip to the store. Suddenly you hear a screeching of tires and the harsh sound of metal hitting metal. In the split second before you can brace yourself, you feel your car moving from some unseen force!

Hidden Damage

It’s tempting to minimize your own injuries because your car has sustained little or no damage. Research shows that occupants can be injured considerably more than what you’d expect from a dented fender or a broken taillight.

When to Seek Medical Care

The best time to call your doctor is immediately after the injury. If the patient cannot determine whether an emergency department visit is needed for the symptoms, then contact the doctor and ask for advice. If the doctor is unavailable at the time of the injury, then call 911 for transport to the emergency department. The risks associated with a possible neck injury are far too great to attempt to diagnose and self-treat. See a doctor and have the patient's neck braced to keep the head from moving during transport.

Depending upon the severity of a car accident, emergency medical personnel may take the patient to an emergency department immediately. In this case, a cervical collar will be placed around the patient's neck, and the body will be strapped to a long, firm board to prevent any movements until a doctor sees the patient.

If you visit the emergency room, you may be given a clean bill of health because you don’t have any broken bones. You might get a prescription to reduce the muscle spasms caused by structural changes in your neck or lower back.

You don’t have a drug shortage! After what you've been through, you'll need a health professional that truly understands soft tissue injuries, spinal biomechanics and rehabilitation strategies. Call our office.

With less severe car accidents, emergency medical services may or may not be involved in the patient's pre-hospital care. You should visit your chiropractor if you develop any of the following symptoms shortly after the injury:

Neck pain
Pain in either or both arms
Shoulder pain
Headache
Dizziness
Weakness, tingling, or loss of function in the arms or legs

We Can Help

Whether it was a little incident in the parking lot, or two cars attempting to occupy the same space in an intersection, you need people who know how to work with lawyers and insurance companies.

If you’ve been in a car accident, give us a call. We’ve been through this many times. Not only can we usually offer drug-free relief, we can help put this behind you once and for all.

Whiplash Overview

Whiplash is a nonmedical term used to describe neck pain following an injury to the soft tissues of your neck (specifically ligaments, tendons, and muscles). It is caused by an abnormal motion or force applied to your neck that causes movement beyond the neck's normal range of motion.

Whiplash happens in motor vehicle accidents, sporting activities, accidental falls, and assault.

The term whiplash was first used in 1928, and despite its replacement by synonyms (such as acceleration flexion-extension neck injury and soft tissue cervical hyperextension injury), it continues to be used to describe this common soft tissue neck injury. Your doctor may use the more specific terms of cervical sprain, cervical strain, or hyperextension injury.

Whiplash Causes

The most frequent cause of whiplash is a car accident. The speed of the cars involved in the accident or the amount of physical damage to the car may not relate to the intensity of neck injury; speeds as low as 15 miles per hour can produce enough energy to cause whiplash in occupants, whether or not they wear seat belts.

Whiplash Symptoms

These signs and symptoms may occur immediately or minutes to hours after the initial injury; the sooner after the injury that symptoms develop, the greater the chance of serious damage.

Neck pain
Neck swelling
Tenderness along the back of your neck
Muscle spasms (in the side or back of your neck)
Difficulty moving your neck around
Headache
Pain shooting from your neck into either shoulder or arm

Common Questions

Q: Why do I have pain in my arms and hands?

A: Because the nerves to the arms and hands exit the spine through the injured area of the neck, numbness and tingling are common. Even lower back pain can result directly from the trauma, or as a reaction to the loss of proper spinal curves.

Q: Why did my headaches start more than a week after my accident?

A: Whether you’ve been in an accident, stressed at work, or over-exerted yourself in the garden, your body is constantly adapting to the environment. When your capacity to adapt is exhausted, symptoms can appear. This can take days, weeks, months or years to occur.

Q: Will I ever be normal again?

A: Many chiropractic patients report restored spinal curves and an end to their symptoms. Those who delay seeking appropriate care often discover that scar tissue and spinal instability requires periodic chiropractic checkups.