What is a "Whiplash Injury"?
A whiplash injury occurs when the head is suddenly forced beyond the normal limits of motion. For example, in a rear-end collision, the neck muscles violently snap the head forward. Then
an immediate reflex causes the head to propel backward. As this happens, the supportive soft tissues in the neck are often over-stretched or torn, and spinal joints can become misaligned. Misaligned vertebrae can cause the nerve roots and blood vessels in your neck to become compressed, stretched or irritated, which may interfere with nerve transmission and blood supply to vital body functions.

In a whiplash injury, the normal curve of the cervical spine is altered, and joint motion becomes restricted. Weakened tissues are no longer able to support the vertebrae in proper position,
so it may be difficult to keep your head upright after a whiplash. The instability of the structures in your neck can cause anything from dizziness and pain to loss of strength and limitation of movement.

Chiropractic care can relieve the symptoms of whiplash and can often prevent your cervical spine from developing future serious problems.

Causes of Whiplash
Most people associate whiplash injuries with car accidents, but you can experience whiplash while playing a weekend game of football
or by being pushed from behind, taking a nasty fall or even sneezing violently. Any sudden stop of your body that forcefully snaps your
head and neck can cause injury, even though you may not feel any symptoms right away.

That’s why it’s important not to let the absence of symptoms keep you from having a complete spinal examination. Damage to the spinal joints actually begins within 24 hours of an injury. By the time you experience symptoms, it may be too late to prevent permanent damage. Immediate chiropractic care can prevent further injury and save you time and money by avoiding future problems like scar tissue, disabling disc problems or arthritic degeneration.

Why Chiropractic
Proper care of your whiplash injury is essential to prevent a lifetime of problems. Even though you may feel “nothing happened,” a chiropractic exam can determine if serious damage has occurred. Specific chiropractic adjustments not only relieve your immediate discomfort, but also can restore healthy spinal joint function and balance to prevent problems from occurring in the future.

At Anderson Chiropractic, our doctors have extensive training to help remove nerve interference, break down scar tissue from old injuries, and increase circulation to enhance healing and reduce inflammation. Studies have shown that chiropractic adjustment can eliminate or reduce joint pain and restore normal range of motion to specific areas of injury.

Call Anderson Chiropractic to schedule an exam and consultation and begin getting the relief you need.