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Chiropractic Treatment for Whiplash

echiropractor — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 02:37:27 +0000

Chiropractic Treatment Techniques

Chiropractors use different techniques to treat patients with whiplash including spinal manipulation, muscle stimulation, and exercise programs. The type of treatment depends on the severity of the injury and is determined after the chiropractic exam. Spinal manipulation, also known as chiropractic adjustment, involves the chiropractor moving the joint into the opposite direction. This technique helps restore mobility within the spine and reduces pain or tenderness in the muscles. The chiropractor may also use a technique called muscle stimulation. During muscle stimulation treatment, the physician will use stretching techniques on muscles that are tense or inhibited. If the muscle is extremely tight, the physician will apply pressure with their finger tips on the sore muscle. Massaging the muscle will reduce tension and pain.

Exercise Treatments

Chiropractors may use McKenzie exercises for whiplash treatment. These exercises are specifically used to treat patients with injuries related to whiplash. McKenzie exercises are easy to do in the office and at home. The techniques improve the arrangement of discs in the back which reduces the pain and soreness. Stabilization exercises are used to help patients who have encountered trauma or a fall related accidents as well as whiplash. Exercise treatments help control the nervous system to improve coordination and movements within the neck. After treatment, it is important that the patient does minimal activities that can cause strain to the body. The physician will explain different activities to avoid at home or work that can cause more strain on the injury.

Chiropractic Treatment for Auto Accident Injury

echiropractor — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 20:27:28 +0000

Discovering the Problem

An auto accident injury can cause many health problems within the body including neck and back pain. Many people will feel the effects of whiplash months after the injury has occurred. Choosing a chiropractor to help relieve neck or back pain from an accident or fall is a reliable solution to a painful problem. The chiropractor will evaluate the patient’s medical history during the first session of chiropractic treatment. The physician will ask if the patient has been in an accident or sustained any trauma in the past several months. Patients who have sustained a fracture in the neck will typically have a stiff and painful neck. If the patient does have a fracture, the chiropractor will require a spinal x-ray to further examine the issue. The physician will also ask if there has been any shoulder pain accompanying the neck or back pain. It is also important that the patient explains to the doctor any headaches or head pains they have been experiencing since the accident. Providing the physician with all medical history information will result in a proper diagnosis.

Chiropractors Perform Adjustments

Chiropractors may use different adjustment techniques to relieve back or neck pain. The physician will apply pressure and force to the patients back that will help relieve pain. This force will push the spine beyond its typical movement and motion. Pushing the spine beyond movement will increase the range of motion and help to relieve back pain. Chiropractors may also use other pain relief techniques such as exercise, stretching, and massage methods to relieve pain caused from auto accident injuries.

Neck Therapy

echiropractor — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:45:00 +0000

There are many different neck therapies available to a patient. It is crucial that the patient understand the key differences between each neck therapy and treatment before they continue on one path. There are many therapeutic natural approaches as well as approaches that incorporate medication, injections, and strict exercising. If you have already visited a doctor you may want to try alternative treatments as these will also assist in treating neck pain.

Treatments:

Acupuncture

You may choose to visit an acupuncturist; they can help in managing neck pain in a more natural way. Acupuncturists use long needles that are inserted in origins within the body, these needles are used to help release toxins and mange the pain felt within your neck. Typically the acupuncture treatment is done in less than thirty minutes, the pain is very minimal, and you can go back to your daily activities after your visit. This is a great natural approach for someone who isn’t interested in taking pain medication or scheduling to take injections.

Chiropractic

Another option a patient has is to visit a chiropractor. Chiropractors will help the patient by adjusting their back and spine into their natural position. Typically adjustments are made once a week or a few times a month depending on the severity of the neck pain felt by the patient. Chiropractors may also use other in house equipment and traction devices to help stretch the neck and remove the tension felt.

Physical Therapy

Another option is for the patient to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist. They will assist the patient in doing a series of in house exercises and stretches to stretch and strengthen the neck and back. These exercises are typically done with the aid of machines or with the aid of the physical therapists. This allows you to get the correct range of motion within your neck. In most cases, you may see your physical therapist once or twice a week depending on the severity of the neck pain.

Neck Pain Doctor

echiropractor — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 05:44:47 +0000

Many people seek care for their neck and back problems. However, a chiropractor is more than just a neck pain doctor. Neck pain is generally the most common reason people seek treatment from a chiropractic physician, and since neck pain usually does not occur from a single episode of trauma, excluding whiplash, but from daily improper body mechanics and movements, a chiropractor has the job of not just relieving neck pain and discomfort but also providing a treatment plan that focuses on teaching overall improved mechanics and health habits to the individual. This would involve offering services that include not only chiropractic manipulation but physical rehabilitation and other complementary modalities as well.

Causes of Neck Pain

Neck pain can be the result of degeneration of the cervical discs (spondylosis), a pinched nerve, spinal stenosis or muscle spasm. In all cases, proper diagnosis is necessary for proper and effective treatment and pain management. A chiropractic physician will be able to rule out any serious underlying health problems through diagnostic imaging, lab tests, if necessary, and a complete history and physical before recommending a chiropractic treatment plan. If conservative care is indicated, a chiropractor will continue with treatment that generally includes heat and ice therapy, appropriate rehab exercises, massage therapy services, and other modalities including traction, ultrasound, and nutritional counseling. If a patient is not responding well to their treatment plan, a chiropractic physician will typically refer them to a specialist for further examination and treatment.

References Cited in this Article

Whiplash Injury

echiropractor — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:06:47 +0000

A whiplash injury to the neck can be minor or extremely serious. It’s vital to assess your symptoms and what has caused your whiplash injury before you visit or make a call to your doctor. People who are involved in car accidents should always make an appointment immediately to see their doctor, no matter how minor or serious the car accident. You always need to get checked out to see if there is any injury to the brain, head or neck. It’s vital to make this appointment they day of the accident as most all whiplash symptoms will show up the following day and not the day of the actual car accident. Whiplash injuries can also be caused by a number of different sports injuries or diving related accidents because of the abrupt force to the neck and spine. Whiplash can even be caused by someone forcefully pushing you, or if you are hit abruptly by a falling object from above. The symptoms that are commonly felt by a patient who has just experienced whiplash are sudden headaches and throbbing pains in the head and neck accompanied by extreme pain in the back of the head. The day after the whiplash injury it’s common that patients feel as if they were hit in the back of the head with an object. This is the most common whiplash complaint. Patients may also complain of numbness in the neck, dizziness or drastic pain in between the arms or between the shoulders blades. Other symptoms may include pain within the jaw or feeling very exhausted and faint after the injury. Whiplash treatments vary and depend on the severity of the injury in which the patient is diagnosed. In most cases adjustments, medication, or exercise will help the pain and soreness that is felt after experiencing the whiplash injury. If the whiplash is very severe it may also cause damage to the upper discs. This may then require surgical repair to repair the damage associated with the discs in the intervertebral region.

Car Accident Injury

echiropractor — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:18:37 +0000

There are many different injuries within the face, neck, back, legs and arms that can occur during a car accident. Every patient’s injury will be different depending on the severity of the accident. If you have just been in a major or minor car accident and experience pain, it’s essential you visit your doctor immediately to diagnose any underlying issues. It’s common that a patient may have internal bleeding or fractured bones from car accidents. It’s also common that a patient be unconscious and unaware of how bad they really are. If you have a head injury, it’s vital that you always have this checked immediately as head traumas are one of the most serious injuries experienced by a patient. Head injuries can lead to death, disability, brain damage or even visual impairment or speech impairment. The most common side effect of a car accident is whip lash. Most patients will feel the effects of whip lash a day or two after the accident has actually occurred. Whiplash patients are often patients who have been hit from the back or the front of the car. These types of accidents cause the most force to the neck and spine, which in turn causes the whiplash to the neck. The other common injury that occurs from a car accident is a neck sprain or a neck strain. These are also typically seen in patients who have been in an accident where they were hit from the back or the front of the car. A neck sprain and strain is not as serious and can be treated easily by your chiropractor, specialist or doctor. In most cases, patients will be asked to ice the neck or use a heat pack to alleviate the pain and swelling associated with the neck strain or sprain. In more serious cases patients may be given a neck brace to support the neck and help to heal the neck back to its normal curvature and position. If you still aren’t sure if you should be seen or make an appointment, you may want to talk to your doctor or a nurse to offer a better idea as to what you should do after your car accident.

Neck Specialist: Diagnosis and Treatment

echiropractor — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:40:00 +0000

A neck specialist is someone with detailed knowledge on the anatomical structures of the cervical spine and surrounding tissues and displays extensive skills in the treatment of complaints such as: whiplash, sprain/strains, facet syndrome, disc herniation, facet dislocation, fracture, and many more. More often then not if the case is not an emergency room situation, treatment may be sought by the forefront of neck specialists, a chiropractor. A chiropractor is trained extensively in the anatomical and physiological relationship of the spine and the nervous system as a whole and the impact of subluxation on the body. A vertebral subluxation is the improper motion or position of the moving bones of the spine that compress and irritate the surrounding nerves. Ultimately, subluxations cause disruption to the corresponding body organs and tissues; causing disease and dysfunction. A chiropractor will first take a detailed case history to find out the mechanism of injury. Then, he or she will perform a comprehensive physical exam to determine the diagnosis, any further testing such as x-rays or special imaging, and the course of treatment needed. The chiropractor’s job is to remove subluxations, restoring proper nerve function to allow the body to express its own innate intelligence. Chiropractors use many different techniques to correct the misaligned vertebra which are performed in the paraphysiological space. They may incorporate various physical therapy modalities to decrease muscle tonicity, increase range of motion and tissue healing; making the adjustment easier for the chiropractor to deliver and more effective for the patient. The neck specialist will re-evaluate the patient after a set number of visits determined by the patient’s condition and level of severity. At this time, continued care will be administered at the discretion of the specialist; or the patient will be released from care or referred out of the office to a different specialist. Individuals no longer have to suffer in pain and wait for the long days to pass; there is help to be sought in the form of an experienced neck specialist- a Chiropractor.

Neck Injury Chiropractor

echiropractor — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:14:14 +0000

A neck injury can be very serious or very minute. Neck injuries can vary from an actual broken neck to minor whiplash. If you think you may have a broken neck you must visit the emergency room immediately to ensure you have the proper X-Ray’s done to assess the damage within the neck. If you do not take immediate precaution, you can cause further injuries to the neck and body. These further injuries may even cause irreversible damage. A patient can experience a neck injury while in a car accident, playing sports, or even just slipping and falling on a wet surface. The most commonly seen injuries are whiplash injuries that are caused from a person who had just been in a car accident. Patients may also have neck injuries that are directly in the cervical disc area, these are typically related to slipped discs within the neck. Another injury that is typically more acute and not as serious is stiffness within the neck; stiffness can be also caused by poor stance or be related to a muscle strain within the neck and back. A neck injury chiropractor can help the patient recover much quicker than other methods. If a patients visits a doctor they will typically be prescribed pain medication that can be both addictive and offer no long term solution. Dangerous addictions can result from neck injury pain killers, so it’s vital to explore all of your options before you decide that pain medication is the best route for your injury. Neck injury chiropractors will help the patient recover more quickly than other methods that only incorporate medication. Chiropractors will help the patient increase the mobility within the neck and give the patient more range of motion within the neck and shoulders. The healing process will take both time and patience from the patient. It’s important that the patient get a full assessment from their Chiropractor and come up with a plan to help the patient fully recover from their neck injury. If you don’t visit a Chiropractor, you may continue to experience the pain, stiffness, and headaches associated with the neck injury. It’s essential that you visit your Chiropractor to make necessary adjustments to help your recovery process.

A Common Auto Accident Injury

echiropractor — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:08:36 +0000

In 2006, there were over two hundred million licensed drivers in the United States according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. With so many drivers, so many things can, and sometimes do, go wrong. The most common auto accident injury reported every year is whiplash. Whiplash is a non-medical term used to describe pain and other symptoms following an injury of the ligaments, tendons or muscles of the neck. The actual injury results from an excessive force or motion that causes the neck to move beyond its normal range of motion (acceleration-deceleration injury in other words). Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much force from an automobile to cause whiplash. Speeds as low as fifteen miles per hour can generate enough energy/force to cause injury.

For many people, symptoms of whiplash may be delayed for up to twenty-four hours or more following an auto accident. These symptoms may include pain, swelling, muscle spasms, headache, difficulty in moving the head, pain radiating into the shoulder or arm, low back pain and sleep disturbances. Examination by a physician will generally include testing the strength in the arms and legs, testing sense of touch, observing reflexes in the arms and legs and possibly diagnostic imaging such as x-rays to rule out a fracture or other serious injury. Short-term bed rest is recommended immediately following an onset of whiplash as well as avoiding any motion that causes excessive strain to the neck. For the first twenty-four hours, ice therapy is recommended for twenty minutes every hour. Following ice therapy, a person suffering with whiplash can be treated with gentle neck massage, heat therapy, ultrasound and gentle range of motion exercises. If symptoms persist, physical therapy/rehabilitation is recommended.

References Cited in this Article