Many people will seek chiropractic care in Lewistown, MT, after an auto injury. A standard auto injury, whiplash, occurs when the head and neck are whipped from back to front, similar to how a whip is cracked. Most car accidents are rear-ended collisions, with whiplash being a typical result. However, whiplash can also occur from trauma, accidents, abuse, and falls.

Many people in Lewistown who have been involved in an accident don't even realize they have received a whiplash injury until weeks or months later when the problem becomes persistent and leads to other issues. If your neck has been injured in an accident or other incident, this article will help you to understand if you have a whiplash injury and how chiropractic care can help you to treat it.

WHIPLASH IN LEWISTOWN

When the neck is whipped from back to front during a car accident, while playing contact sports such as football, or occasionally from an assault or other physical trauma, several things can happen to the spine and surrounding soft tissue. Whiplash describes the initial impact, but the results can include the following:

• Disc bulges and herniation

• Subluxations (misalignment of the vertebrae in the spine),

• Injured bones in the spine,

• Irritated and damaged nerves

• Pulled ligaments and muscles in the neck

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF WHIPLASH?

Whiplash injuries can range from mild to very severe. Injuries tend to be more significant when your headrest is positioned too low. If the impact was quite powerful or the headrest was soft, there is the possibility that bones are broken, or tissue is damaged. It is highly recommended that you see a chiropractor and receive a thorough examination and x-rays. Even if the impact seemed mild, you might have whiplash if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• Neck pain

• Shoulder, upper back, and arm pain

• Headaches

• Blurred vision

• Pain when turning the head

• Inability to move or turn the head fully

• Dizziness

• Tiredness

• Numbness or tingling in the arms, hands, and fingers

• Ringing in the ears

• Difficulty sleeping

• Depression

As you can see, there is a wide range of symptoms, and not all of them may be immediately traceable to whiplash. However, even if a doctor has cleared you, your pain could still be related to whiplash, and you may need treatment to correct the problem. Getting your spine checked as soon as possible is essential if you have recently been injured. The sooner you start treating the issue, the less chance you have of it developing into a long-term problem.

CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR CAR ACCIDENTS

Because most whiplash incidents impact the spine and the surrounding nerves and tissues, chiropractic care is an excellent avenue for treatment. Chiropractic doctors are skilled in assessing the source of the pain associated with a whiplash injury and determining a plan for effective treatment. In addition, chiropractic treatments are gentle and non-invasive. Through minor adjustments, people find great relief from the pain associated with whiplash and are set on the road to full recovery. Call our Lewistown, Montana team at Community Chiropractic Center to discover how chiropractic care can help you recover from whiplash.