When you’re dealing with neck pain, carrying out routine, daily activities can be difficult. One common cause of this pain is whiplash, with over three million Americans suffering from this condition each year. Without treatment, it can cause long-term symptoms, but focused physical therapy can restore function and relieve pain. To help you understand whiplash and its treatment, the experienced team at Physical Therapy Specialists in Dothan, AL, provide some important information about this common malady.

A Guide to Whiplash & Chiropractic Care

What Is Whiplash & How Does It Happen?

Whiplash occurs as a result of sudden extension and flexion of the neck — or a “backward then forward” motion — that damages the neck’s soft tissues, discs, vertebrae, or nerves. The most frequent cause is motor vehicle accidents, but sports and roller coasters are also culprits. Whiplash can cause severe pain, long-term symptoms, and permanent disability.

What Are the Symptoms?

Among the most commonly reported symptoms are neck stiffness and pain, inability to turn the head, low back pain, fatigue, blurred vision, muscle spasms, sleep problems, and dizziness. Symptoms can occur immediately after the accident, or they might be delayed by days or weeks.

What Should You Do If You’ve Experienced Whiplash? 

It’s important not to delay diagnosis and treatment, even if your initial symptoms are minor. Because signs of whiplash might not be immediately apparent, it’s sometimes easy to attribute the aches and pains caused by the injury to something else. But delaying physical therapy or other treatments can result in long-term damage. Proactively pursuing injury rehabilitation is essential for a good long-term prognosis.

How Does Physical Therapy Help? 

After whiplash, pain relief is usually your first priority. But, medications just treat the symptoms. Physical therapy, on the other hand, is a drug-free way to deal with the underlying issues causing the pain. Your physical therapist will address the source of the problem by using a combination of passive and active treatments to improve neck strength and range of motion.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of whiplash, don’t delay treatment. The caring professionals at Physical Therapy Specialists will create an individualized treatment plan to help you recover quickly and safely. For an appointment, call (334) 673-2422, or visit their Facebook page to learn more.