How To Treat And Manage Whiplash

When your head jerks forward or backward suddenly, you are at risk for developing whiplash. This most commonly happens in a car accident, but any impact that jars your neck can cause it. Individuals who play contact sports, such as football, are also at a higher risk of developing whiplash. When your neck experiences sudden, unexpected force, the tendons and the muscles can stretch or even tear. After whiplash occurs, neck pain is the most common symptom. The pain can radiate down into the shoulders and back. Some individuals experience a reduction in their range of movement. Others feel a tingling or numbness that starts in the neck and goes down the back or arms. Get to know precisely how to treat and manage whiplash now.

Patient Education

One of the best things to do is to be aware of how to alleviate symptoms at home. In the days following the accident, or whatever caused the whiplash, use ice on the neck. This will help with the pain while also serving to reduce swelling. Ice packs can accomplish this by helping to close the small blood vessels in the area. Once the risk for swelling has passed, start alternating heat treatment with ice packs. If you experience whiplash, your doctor will likely advise you to avoid certain activities, at least at first. Surgery is often not needed for a whiplash injury. Patient education can help alleviate symptoms while the body heals itself.

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Soft Cervical Collar

Directly after the incident that caused whiplash, a soft cervical collar may be worn, usually for a minimum of two to three weeks, as it helps prevent further strain to the area. When whiplash occurs, damage happens to the soft tissues that are supposed to support your neck. This may be painful when these tissues are injured, which is why the soft cervical collar can be so useful in the first weeks after the injury. On top of helping your neck in supporting your head, these collars also limit movement, which is important while healing from whiplash. When a collar is called for, a doctor will explain to the patient how they should wear their collar. Examples of this include how many hours a day to have it on, if they can shower with it, should they sleep in it, and how to clean and care for it.

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Monitoring Rest And Immobilization Carefully

Getting the right amount of rest to encourage healing with a whiplash injury can be tricky. During the first twenty-four hours or so after the incident, resting can be important. After that, however, staying in bed too long can actually delay healing. The same is true of restricting neck movement. It's good in moderation, but too much can slow down recovery. Immobilizing the neck too much can actually cause muscle atrophy as well as a decrease in blood flow to the area. Even more frightening is the possibility of the muscles healing in a shortened position, which can severely impact their flexibility. This is why it is important to follow your doctor's directions if they have you use a cervical collar. Striking a good balance between pain management and healing requires monitoring rest and immobilization carefully.

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Physical Therapy

Physical therapy can be very effective for relieving pain and encouraging healing when it comes to a whiplash injury. There are two main types of physical therapy: active and passive. If you have a sore neck due to whiplash, the physical therapist will likely start you off with passive exercises. In these, you do not have to actively participate. These are effective until a certain amount of healing is done and pain becomes more manageable. Deep tissue massage is a good example of an effective passive therapy for a neck injury. Active therapies will come later, and they are designed to help you strengthen the muscles in your neck. The exercises chosen are specific to your case and where you are in recovery.

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Treatment Of Emotional Response

Studies show psychological trauma can intensify and prolong whiplash symptoms. If after an injury you develop feelings of anxiety, depression, or anger, it is important to seek treatment immediately. A mental health professional can help you feel more optimistic about the recovery process. This has been shown to reduce the odds of an injury leaving you with chronic symptoms. Post-traumatic stress related to the incident that caused the whiplash is quite common. This is especially true of car accidents. Patients who exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress generally have greater levels of pain and a slower recovery time. This is why treatment of the emotional response to whiplash can be just as important as treating the physical symptoms.