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Through diligent practice, we provide Calgary, AB with quality chiropractic services, helping the community get back to pain-free health. With a focus on quality service and the scientific approach, Associate Chiropractic Clinic offers wide-ranging therapy options at affordable rates. Research has shown that chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage therapy may be helpful for a wide variety of conditions:
ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM WHIPLASH AND LIGAMENT INJURY?
What Is Whiplash?
If you experience intense pain in your neck or shoulders following a car accident, slip or fall, you might suffer from whiplash. Neck and ligament injury arising from an auto accident is one of the most common auto-related injuries in the Canada.
You can experience whiplash as a neck injury when a sudden impact whips your neck back and forth, straining the neck muscles and joints in a way that exceeds its normal ranges and thus damages ligaments. The sudden impact can affect the muscles, tendons, discs, and nerves in your neck, causing pain while restricting movement in your neck area.
Similarly, how you sprain or over stretch an ankle ligament, you can sprain the ligaments in your neck.
What causes whiplash?
In a car accident, the neck vertebrae rub against each other, stressing the in-between discs and causing pinched nerves. The force of the sudden impact can whip your cervical spine beyond its normal motion range, affecting your spine’s natural curvature.
Misalignment of your natural spine curvature can cause intense pain in the neck, affecting your sleep routine and restricting your neck mobility.
Whiplash injuries can happen in any vehicle accident. Even when the accident does not significantly damage your vehicle, the sudden impact of the collision can cause you intense neck strain, resulting in whiplash symptoms.
Low impact accidents, like a fender bender, can considerably strain your musculoskeletal system and cervical spine, causing whiplash.
The symptoms of whiplash can occur immediately or within 24 hours of the accident. Some symptoms can surface in a month after a car accident and can linger for several months.
Symptoms of whiplash
Here are some symptoms you can experience after getting whiplash from an accident:
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Neck and shoulder pain that often gets worse with movement
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Neck stiffness
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Limited motion in the neck
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Fatigue and dizziness
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Headaches, usually on the back of the head
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Vision problems
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Upper back pain
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Blurred and foggy thinking and confusion
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Pain and numbness in arms and shoulders
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Fatigue, irritability, sleeping problems
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Jaw pain and migraines
A whiplash injury, if not treated promptly, can cause long-term health issues. If your cervical spine stays misaligned, it can compress the surrounding nerves, causing pain along the length of the nerves.
A whiplash auto injury usually does not go away on its own. It can cause persistent pain and distress, causing headaches, numbness, and other health complications.
Diagnosis of whiplash
After the trauma, your chiropractor will conduct a physical exam to evaluate your spine. The spine must be examined even when you suffer from neck pain, as whiplash can affect different areas of your spine.
The chiropractor would locate areas of muscle spasm and strain, vertebrae disc, and ligament injury, concentrating on areas of restricted joint movement. Often, your doctor may use other diagnostic techniques, like motion and static palpation that involve touch to diagnose whiplash injuries.
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In addition, your chiropractor will:
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Feel for joint tenderness and tightness, evaluating the movement of your joints.
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Consider your posture, how you walk, and your spine alignment to help with the diagnosis.
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To assess damage to the soft tissues, diagnosis of whiplash can include the following tests:
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X-ray: They look into the images of the joints and bones of the spine to get a better idea of the damage that occurred because of the impact.
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CT scan or computed tomography: Computer technology takes horizontal or axial images of the body in the form of slices. A CT scan shows images of your body in detail, including organs, bones, and muscle structure. It provides a more detailed picture than an x-ray.
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MRI or magnetic resonance imaging: Large magnets and computers provide detailed images of your internal body.
Treatment of whiplash
If you are experiencing neck and shoulder pain along with the other symptoms of a whiplash injury, contact our Calgary, AB whiplash chiropractor at Associate Chiropractic Clinic for effective diagnosis and treatment.
Your chiropractor will decide on the treatment of whiplash based on the following factors:
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Your age, general health condition, and medical history.
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The nature and extent of your injury.
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The medicines and therapies that are suitable for your treatment.
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Your expectation and preference regarding the mode of treatment.
Stages of Whiplash Treatment
Initial Treatment Stage:
Immediately after the trauma, your chiropractor can require you to apply ice packs to the affected area to reduce pain and inflammation. In addition, the following steps can be taken.
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Using a cervical collar to provide neck support.
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Applying Ice or Heat to affected areas to reduce pain and muscle tension.
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Utilizing gentle movements, including physical therapy.
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Prescribing anti-inflammatory medicines, like ibuprofen, to provide pain relief and reduce inflammation.
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Prescribing medications that relax muscles and reduce whiplash symptoms.
Follow Up Treatment Stage:
Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation:
After the pain and inflammation have been reduced, spinal manipulation procedures and other gentle techniques are the core treatments to all whiplash and ligament injury recovery. They can be used to restore neck and joint mobility as well as reduce pain and inflammation associated with muscle tension.
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Flexion-distraction technique:
The technique involves gentle non-thrusting spinal manipulation to treat herniated discs that may or may not involve arm pain. Where the whiplash injury involves a herniated disc, your doctor uses a slow pumping action on the disc instead of direct pressure on the spine.
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Instrument-assisted manipulation:
The chiropractor uses a specialized handheld instrument and applies force without thrusting into the spine. It is used in older patients suffering from degenerative joint syndrome.
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Manual Therapy
Here are some manual therapies your chiropractor can use to treat affected ligaments and muscles:
Therapeutic massage:
Manual therapeutic massage can be performed to reduce muscle tension in the affected area.
Joint stretching and relaxation techniques:
Muscle energy therapy is used to stretch and relax the affected muscles, reducing pain and improving mobility.
Trigger point therapy:
Direct pressure is put on the tight muscle points to reduce muscle tension.
Visit Associate Chiropractic Clinic for Whiplash & Ligament Pain Relief
Whiplash and Ligament pain, if left untreated, can have long-term consequences. We at Associate Chiropractic Clinic can provide the best possible care and customized treatment for your unique needs.
Whether your back pain is work-related, a result of an auto injury, or some other reason, our experienced doctors can diagnose your condition to discuss your back pain treatment options. The right treatment can provide immediate pain relief, and help to prevent it from becoming chronic.
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