A car accident can cause significant stress on both the body and mind. Whether you’ve sustained other injuries or not, you may be wondering if your neck pain qualifies as whiplash and you should see a chiropractor. To figure it out, review these common questions and answers about the topic. 

What You Should Know About Whiplash

What is whiplash? 

Whiplash means that the muscles and ligaments inside your neck have been overstretched and sprained. The intervertebral discs and joints may suffer damage as well. As a result, you may experience neck pain, stiffness, and numbness, along with dizziness, fatigue, sleeplessness, headaches, blurred vision, tinnitus, and trouble swallowing, concentrating, or recalling memories. Understandably, general irritability may occur, too.

In some cases, you’ll feel back and spinal pain, along with discomfort in the shoulders. These symptoms may not appear until 24 hours after the incident that caused the sprain. 

What causes it? 

Whiplash may be caused by any incident that abruptly and powerfully compels your body forward while your head momentarily remains in one place, forcing it to jerk forward to catch up. Car accidents often cause whiplash, but you can also get it from falling off a horse or bike, or from heavy impacts to the head. Rough contact sports can cause it, too. 

How is it diagnosed? 

It’s impossible to tell whether you have whiplash just by feeling or looking at the affected area. Even neck pain alone isn’t enough for a diagnosis. In most cases, a medical technician would need to perform an MRI or CT scan to find out. If you suspect you have whiplash, seek a professional opinion.

How can whiplash be treated? 

You can do basic treatments at home, like applying an ice pack to the affected area and taking over-the-counter pain medications. Chiropractic treatments can also speed the healing process along with massage therapy, MLS laser therapy, and careful exercises designed to relieve stiffness and restore mobility. Some people find that corticosteroid or lidocaine injections are helpful, too. It usually takes several months for whiplash to heal completely.

If you’re recovering from whiplash or any other kind of neck pain, go to May Chiropractic & Rehabilitation in Hartford, CT. With a history of healing patients with chiropractic and alternative healthcare treatments for nearly 20 years, Dr. Ryan May and his staff are fully prepared to provide a personalized rehabilitation program to help you feel normal again as soon as possible. They also offer payment plans so that you can get the treatment you need now without overstretching your budget. To make an appointment, call (860) 568-3900 or message them online.