By Fort Collins Chiropractor Dr. Mathew Ullom BSc, DC
Following a Whiplash accident, there are a host of different common symptoms that can happen. Some of the more common symptoms include neck pain, headaches, pain at the base of your head, shoulder, and even jaw pain. Other symptoms include but are not limited to numbness and tingling, muscle spasms, difficulty sleeping, irritability, memory loss, ringing in the ears, weakness, and concentration issues.
Although the term whiplash is the most commonly used term it is archaic and the more recent and more explanative terms are CAD (cervical acceleration deceleration) injury and cervical hyperextension injury, although for the purposes of this article I will use the term whiplash for simplicity. Analyzing slow motion videos of auto accidents easily gives reason for the updated terminology. On impact the head whips forward or back and then recoils the opposite direction, in a fraction of a second.
The most common mechanism of injury is an auto accident. It is very important that your doctor asks the right questions and documents them accordingly. It is the little details that matter in an accident and this is especially important when it comes to settling your case. Damage that occurs to ligaments, discs, and joints can be significantly worse if your head was turned looking into the rearview mirror or talking to a passenger. While driving with one hand can cause rotation in your mid back or having one foot on the brake can torque your pelvis. As you can see it is the minute details that mater and if the doctor you are seeing is not asking these detailed questions you should probably be asking yourself if you are in the right place.
How long it takes for you to heal whiplash syndromes depends on how severe the trauma sustained to your body is and what structures and tissues were damaged. But for a quick guideline, muscles usually heal the quickest, taking a few months to repair, ligament and tendons can take six months or more, and discs can take over a year to heal completely. If you have pain that lasts more than 4-6 months it is often associated with a spinal problem in your spine involving the facets (a part of your vertebrae), ligaments and/or discs that is most likely affecting your nervous system slowing the healing process.
Whiplash treatment in Fort Collins and other cities can be quite diverse. And if you have read this far you can see the value of finding the right doctor. You need a doctor, who is detail orientated, trained in soft tissue injuries, and who is genuinely concerned about you, not just a pay check. When you head to the hospital they will check your vitals, look for broken bones and life-threatening conditions and release you with some medication for the pain. Their focus is on life and death and not on treating underlying musculoskeletal problems that often lead to future pain and degeneration. What you need to understand is that pills will not correct structural or soft tissue damage, there are specialized therapies designed for treatment of these injuries that some chiropractors will utilize.
There have been numerous studies that have shown early manipulation and mobilization have better outcomes than waiting weeks or months to seek chiropractic care. Our Fort Collins whiplash treatment goal for you is to get you back to pre-accident state as quickly as possible.