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Your spine is evaluated by the chiropractor as a whole— even if you proceed to the chiropractor complaining of neck pain following an injury. She or he will examine the complete spine because other areas of the spine could be affected (not only your neck).
The chiropractor identifies any areas of intervertebral disc injury, restricted joint movement, muscle spasm, and ligament injury. She or he may use a technique called movement and static palpation—diagnostic techniques that involve contact. Your chiropractor may also feel for tenderness, tightness, and just how well your spinal joints move.
She or he will even examine the way you walk, and take note of your posture and spinal alignment. These details will assist your back works, helping with the diagnosis process and the chiropractor understand the body’s mechanisms.
Conservative treatment for whiplash includes immobilizing the patient’s neck in a well-fitting soft cervical collar; use of pain, anti inflammatory, and muscle relaxant drugs; and physical therapy.
Physical therapy (PT) helps to reduce muscle spasms, increase circulation, and encourage healing. PT can range from the following modalities: damp heat, ice, ultrasound, electric stimulation, and exercise to revive range of movement and build strength. Cervical traction might be included to the treatment strategy if symptoms persist. A cervical traction apparatus that was portable can be used at office or home. Trigger point injections including a local anesthetic may help relieve pain and tenderness.
If symptoms continue for more than 6 weeks, or new symptoms appear the patient’s condition is re evaluated. Extension injuries that are severe can damage the intervertebral discs included. Surgical intervention may in rare cases be required, when an intervertebral disc is influenced.
The Schroth Method is best known as a conservative exercise which uses a three dimensional approach to correct spinal misalignments, or subluxations, such as scoliosis, by elongating the trunk. The goal of this specific method of treatment is to naturally develop the inner muscles of the rib cage in order to alter the shape of the upper trunk and to correct spinal imbalances. Chiropractors or physical therapists who perform the Schroth Method will instruct the patient on specific exercises to help straighten, centralize and re-align the spine utilizing corrective breathing techniques.
The Schroth Method exercises aims to achieve: the stabilization of the body’s natural curves; the mobilization of stiff body parts; the improvement of postural alignment; teaching daily living activities; promoting corrections; enhancing neuromuscular control; increasing muscle strength and endurance; reducing pain; and the improvement of cardio-pulmonary function.
Say “whiplash” and most of us immediately think about car accident. You are rear ended as you sit at a stop sign, and your head flies forwards, then backwards. It certainly does whip back and forth, so even though “whiplash” isn’t technically a medical term, it is a quite precise description of what occurs—and what can cause so much pain.
Doctors call whiplash a neck sprain or strain. Other technical medical terms related to whiplash are hyperflexion and hyperextension. When your neck whips back hyperextension is; hyperflexion is when it goes forwards.
Mr. and Mrs. Dominguez share their wonderful story of health and recovery. After being injured in a car accident, Manuel Dominguez and his wife needed help healing their injuries.
That’s when they found Push-as-Rx ® and their path to recovery began. With the help of Dr. Jimenez, Mr. and Mrs. Dominguez started the therapies that changed their lives completely and together with the exercises given to them by the trainers at Push as Rx, little by little, they regained back their health. With great gratitude, Mr. and Mrs. Dominguez give their thanks for the magnificent service they received at Push-as-Rx ®.
El Sr. y la Sra. Dominguez nos dieron a conocer su maravillosa historia de salud y recuperacion. Despues de salir lastimados en una accidente de auto, Manuel Dominguez y su esposa necesitaban ayuda para curar sus lesiones. Ahi fue cuando encontraron la clinica de Push-as-Rx ® y empezaron su camino a la recuperacion. Con la ayuda del Dr. Jimenez, el Sr. y la Sra.
Dominguez comenzaron a recibir terapias que cambiaron sus vidas por completo y junto con los ejercicios de los entrenadores de Push as Rx, poco a poco fueron recuperando su salud. Con mucho agradecimiento, el Sr. y la Sra. Dominguez dan las gracias por el magnifico servicio que recibieron en la clinica Push-as-Rx ®.
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Information: Dr. Alex Jimenez – Chiropractor: 915-850-0900
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Chiropractor, Dr. Alexander Jimenez gives insights into the most common questions about whiplash.
What Is Whiplash?
Whiplash, although not technically a medical term, can be quite painful and is quite serious. We call it whiplash because, within an accident, your neck actually can whip back and forth—first backward (hyperextension) and then forwards (hyperflexion). Doctors call whiplash a neck sprain or strain. Whiplash is an injury to the soft tissues of your neck and upper back that occurs when ligaments and your muscles get overstretched in the strength of an accident.
What Causes Whiplash?
The most common source of whiplash is car accidents. Nonetheless, you can even get whiplash from a sports injury or a fall. It’s also possible to get whiplash when you are hit or shaken.
What Are Some Non-Surgical Ways To Take Care Of Whiplash?
Time is just one of the greatest non surgical treatment options for whiplash. Most instances of whiplash recover by themselves to some months in several weeks. Your doctor may also indicate: wearing a cervical collar, cervical traction, chiropractic adjustment, physical therapy, and pain drugs as you heal.
Will I Need Surgery?
Patients with whiplash quite, very rarely need surgery. If, nevertheless, you’ve been through wide-ranging non-operative treatments and also you have pain, surgery may be considered by you. There are several kinds of surgery useful for whiplash
Corpectomy:
Sometimes whiplash induces the spinal canal to narrow because of how a soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, and tendons) and bones moved throughout the first injury. By removing area of the vertebra and the intervertebral disc using a corpectomy, the surgeon is wanting to make more room in your spinal canal.
Discectomy:
The surgeon will remove section of the intervertebral disc, which may be pressing on your own spinal cord or alternative nerves and causing pain. Sometimes, the surgeon will have to do a spinal fusion at the same time as the discectomy. The fusion plans to permanently stabilize that region of your spine, although not everyone who has a discectomy will need a fusion.
Foraminotomy:
As with a corpectomy, a surgeon uses a foraminotomy to make more room for your nerves that could have gotten pinched and compressed throughout the harm. In this process, the foramina (the place where the nerve roots leave the spinal canal) is removed to boost the size of the nerve pathway.
El Paso Chiropractor, Dr. Alex Jimenez looks at driving skills after a concussion.
Even after their symptoms disappear, concussion patients may still have difficulty driving, a small study suggests.
The study included 14 college-age participants who were tested on a driving simulator within 48 hours after they no longer felt the effects of their concussions.
Despite feeling like they had recovered from their head injuries, the patients were still likely to drive erratically. At times, their skill levels were similar to driving after drinking, the University of Georgia researchers said.
“They had less vehicle control while they were doing the driving simulation, and they swerved more within the lane,” said study author Julianne Schmidt.
“This is a pretty large indicator of motor vehicle accident risk, and this is at a time point when they are considered recovered,” Schmidt, an associate professor in the kinesiology department, said in a university news release.
Concussion research tends to focus on when injured athletes can return to play, and the issue of driving after a concussion has not been investigated, the researchers noted.
“In athletics, we don’t restrict their driving before their symptoms resolve,” Schmidt said. In many cases, people drive themselves home from the event or practice where the concussion occurred — “there are no restrictions there,” she said.
Yet, “we would never let them go out on the field or court; we’re very strict about that,” Schmidt noted.
The study findings suggest that concussion patients’ driving should be restricted at least until symptoms clear, and possibly after that, she said.
The research team plans to try to determine when concussion patients’ driving abilities improve, and to develop guidelines to help recommend when driving should be restricted.
The study was published online recently in the Journal of Neurotrauma.
SOURCE: University of Georgia, news release, Feb. 6, 2017
News stories are written and provided by HealthDay and do not reflect federal policy, the views of MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
N.L. chiropractors’ association says workers also get back on the job faster
CBC News
The Newfoundland & Labrador Chiropractic Association
SEEING A CHIROPRACTOR FIRST AFTER A WORKPLACE INJURY GETS WORKERS BACK ON THE JOB FASTER
Dr. Darrell Wade, CEO of the association, said the September 2016 study analyzed data from more than 5,500 injured workers in Ontario.
“What it found was that the initial provider of care for back pain was a very strong determinant of the duration of financial compensation for at least the first five months of the claim,” he told CBC Radio’s On the Go.
The study, published in the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, found that workers who saw a chiropractor first, rather than a physician or a physiotherapist, needed full compensation for a shorter time.
“What they found was that people who had seen a chiropractor first had seen about a 20 per cent less cost in these claims over those who visited their family physician,” he said.
The study involved more than 5,000 injured workers in Ontario, comparing time lost depending on which health care professional they saw first. (CBC)
A majority of workplace injuries are related to joints and muscles, making chiropractors a logical choice for the first visit, said Wade.
“Getting to the person who is most adequately equipped to treat your injury in the first place is what really accounts for the reductions in lost time from work and compensation costs,” he said.
In the study, done by researchers at the University of Montreal, just 11 per cent of the workers saw a chiropractor first, and Wade says that percentage would be less in Newfoundland and Labrador.
“It does speak to a great potential for improvement in our system, were we to use chiropractors more as the front line for musculoskeletal injuries, in particular, back pain,” he said.
“All too often these patients are not getting to us until three months after an injury and at that point the chance of success decreases significantly.”
The owner of a Houston health clinic pled guilty to insurance fraud after billing for medical services – often provided to injured employees – despite having no licensed medical staff at the clinic. Instead, investigators found that the clinic was using foreign medical students to provide care. Rosemary Phelan, the owner of Rose’s Houston Healthcare Clinic, entered a guilty plea in Harris County Court and was sentenced to seven years deferred adjudication and ordered to pay $88,000 in restitution. A joint investigation by the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation and Texas Mutual Insurance Company revealed that Phelan’s clinic had no licensed medical providers on staff yet continued to accept patients. She would then file fraudulent workers’ compensation claims to collect from insurers.
Texas has some of the nation’s most affordable workers’ compensation coverage, according to a 2016 study, which found that the Lone Star State had the 10th lowest rates among all states. The study by the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services ranks all 50 states and Washington, D.C., based on premium rates that were in effect January 1, 2016. Texas, with premiums at $1.45 per $100 of payroll, ranked No. 10, four spots higher than the previous study in 2014. “It’s great to see evidence of the progress we’ve made in affordability,” said Texas Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation Ryan Brannan. “Lower injury rates, better return-to-work outcomes for injured employees, and reduced medical costs per claim are a big factor, but the results of the Oregon study are also proof that we’re becoming more efficient, proactive, and transparent.”
After a successful pilot project, the Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation rolled out a statewide program in October 2016 that has helped speed up the resolution of some disputes. The program splits up related claim issues so that a hearing officer can decide the most far-reaching issue first. This can clear the way for secondary issues to be resolved sooner. In the pilot program, the approach helped speed resolution of many workers’ compensation disputes. “We’re always looking for ways to stay on the cutting edge of workers’ compensation, and this process is a great example of finding a way to improve efficiency in the system,” said Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Ryan Brannan. “From what we’ve seen in the pilot project and in the statewide roll-out, the two-step approach to deciding some of the most complex issues in a dispute is a good option for system participants in many cases.”
Texas employers are invited to join the Division of Workers’ Compensation in Austin for the Texas Safety Summit on May 9-11. The 21st annual workplace safety and health conference offers important information for everyone who plays a role in safeguarding employees, from the beginner to the seasoned safety professional. Employers will hear from top safety experts about some of the most critical safety and health issues facing Texas businesses. Attendees will learn practical tools and techniques to use in their workplaces to better protect their employees. “The Safety Summit is a proactive way for us to help Texas businesses,” says Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation, Ryan Brannan. “Not only does it help foster a positive safety culture for your company and its employees, it ultimately helps reduce costs associated with on-the-job injuries and illnesses.”
A current study conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform, or ILR, determined that several of the most expensive ads under popular search terms on Google, including phrases such as "Top personal injury lawyers" and "El Paso accident lawyer", costed personal injury lawyers approximately $700 every time a possible client clicked on it. While these elevated costs have demonstrated a definite growing advertising trend among attorneys, these statistics have developed a tremendous concern among Texans who value the integrity of their civil justice system. As a matter of fact, the increased amount of personal injury lawyer advertising shows how misleading ads have become, putting greed ahead of justice. Furthermore, this method of advertising can burden courts with questionable lawsuits, leading to more delays and denials of justice for those with legitimate legal claims. According to the Institute for Legal Reform's research study, personal injury attorneys in the United States were estimated to spend a total of $892 million in television advertising in 2015, a growth from $531 million in 2008. The large sums being invested on these expensive ads were utilized in the study to show the way many personal injury lawyers are predominantly more interested in lining their pockets rather than being interested on the client's safety and overall health and wellness.
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Physical therapy is a highly effective treatment option for whiplash, especially when coupled with other treatments and medicines, such as bracing. With whiplash, the soft tissues in your neck become damaged or injured, but a physical therapist can help restore the individual’s original movement and proper function of those tissues.
Physical therapy can include both passive and active treatments. Passive treatments help unwind your body as well as you. As you don’t have to actively participate, they are called passive. Most likely, you’re experiencing severe pain because of whiplash, which means you will probably start as your body heals with passive treatments and/or adapts to the pain. But the aim of physical therapy would be to get into active treatments. All these are in order for your spine has better support healing exercises that reinforce your body.
Whiplash, although not technically a medical term, can manifest painful symptoms, usually as a result of neck damage or injury. We call it whiplash because, in an injury, your neck actually can whip back and forth—first backward (hyperextension) and then forward (hyperflexion). Doctors call whiplash a neck sprain or strain. Whiplash is an injury to the soft tissues of upper back and your neck occurring when ligaments and your muscles get overstretched from the force of a collision.
When you get whiplash, you’ll understand what caused it. But you may not sense the indications of it until later. Symptoms can appear as soon following your auto accident or other injury as two hours, but you may experience symptoms that begin slightly and gradually become worse. Symptoms can sometimes grow days, weeks, or even months after the first injury.
The primary symptom of whiplash is neck or upper back pain. It’s also possible to experience other symptoms.
Most just described, whiplash is caused by a movement or force that makes your neck move beyond its normal range of motion. Cervical spine, or your neck, has an incredible range of movement. It is the moveable part of your spine, but still, the neck to go beyond its normal range can be caused by whiplash.
Whiplash is a common injury, affecting about 2 million individuals in the United States annually. Ordinarily a consequence of an automobile accident, whiplash may also result from falling, participating in sports, or from other causes, including being shaken or hit.
Whiplash is the common term for a neck sprain or strain resulting from hyperextension (see picture below) and hyperflexion (see image below). It often doesn’t cause symptoms that are immediate: in fact, it could grow over time. Since whiplash may cause long lasting effects on the spinal column, it is essential to determine your doctor for those who have been injured, even in the event you don’t have pain immediately later.
For the second straight year, U.S. pedestrian deaths are setting alarming new records. The number of pedestrians killed on U.S. roads rose a projected 11 percent between 2015 and 2016, the largest year-to-year increase on record, according to a new Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) report. During the first six months of 2016, preliminary data show 2,660 pedestrian deaths nationwide, compared to 2,486 for the same period during 2015. The year-long projection is based on those numbers. The report also projects a 22 percent rise in pedestrian deaths from 2014. Both estimates are sharply higher than the 9 percent increase in pedestrian deaths between 2014 and 2015. “This is the second year in a row that we have seen unprecedented increases in pedestrian fatalities, which is both sad and alarming,” said report author Richard Retting, who’s with Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants. “It is critical that the highway safety community understand these disturbing statistics and work to aggressively implement effective countermeasures,” he added in a GHSA news release.
El Paso, TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez examines patients that go through chiropractic vs. traditional medical care.
Because back pain is such a common problem, a group of Canadian researchers recently investigated the role that the type of primary caregiver has on financial compensation.
This was a large study of 5,511 patients who experienced a work-related back injury in Ontario, Canada.
Patients Saw The Following Providers For Their First Visit:
- 85.3% saw a medical doctor
- 11.4% saw a chiropractor
- 3.2% saw a physical therapist
A Comparison Of The Duration Of Financial Compensation For Back Pain Among Patients From Each Group
The study found that chiropractic patients had the shortest amount of time receiving compensation for their pain and also were less likely to have a recurrence.
In addition, chiropractic patients didn’t need to see other healthcare providers for their pain. 75% of chiropractic patients saw no other provider, while 58.6% of physical therapy patients also saw a medical doctor.
The authors conclude:
“The type of healthcare provider first visited for back pain is a determinant of the duration of financial compensation during the first 5 months. Chiropractic patients experience the shortest duration of compensation, and physiotherapy patients experience the longest.”
Blanchette M, Rivard M, Dionne CE, et al. Association between the type of first healthcare provider and the duration of financial compensation for occupational back pain. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation 2016 Sep 17.
Whiplash is a common injury, annually affecting about 2 million individuals within the U.S. Generally due to a car accident, whiplash also can be a consequence of falling, engaging in sports & being shaken or punched.
Whiplash may be the common term for neck damage or stress caused by hyperextension (see image below) and hyperflexion (see image below). It frequently does not cause immediate symptoms: over-time, it might produce actually. Since whiplash could cause long-lasting results to the back, it is vital that you see your physician if you have been injured, even if you don’t have pain.
The cervical spine (throat) is really a sophisticated structure consists of vertebrae (spinal bones), intervertebral disks (behave as shock absorbers), muscles, ligaments, and nerves. The throat is is flexible and will move it different guidelines (jerk, swivel) while supporting the total weight of the head. However, that mobility can make the throat at risk of injury. Throughout a whiplash event, your throat goes swiftly and vigorously backward and forward. Pain can continue despite the injury itself has healed.
Whiplash can result in reduced productivity, temporary impairment, and perhaps substantial medical expenses.
NOT JUST PAIN IN THE NECK
A person with whiplash’s chief criticism is upper back pain or neck pain. Other symptoms may include:
- Pain
- Stiffness
- Pain within the arm and/or shoulder that may expand to the hand(s).
- Paresthesias (including numbness or tingling) and/or weakness that’ll expand into the hand(s).
- Headache
You might possibly experience dizziness, nausea, ringing in the ears, weakness, jaw pain, and blurred vision.
A CONDITION WITH AN IMPACT
The most frequent cause of whiplash is definitely a car accident in which the person’s vehicle (often stopped) is rear-ended by another car or truck. Because of this, the neck’s bones are forced into a hyperextended position, while the upper vertebrae are hyperflexed, leading to an unusual S-shaped curve. This cycle typically damages the delicate tissues (structures, tendons, muscles) of the neck.
HOW DO I REALIZE I HAVE WHIPLASH?
Your doctor works a neurological and physical exam and carefully reviews your medical history. Because x rays don’t show injuries to delicate tissues, a CT (computerized tomography) scan or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) could be executed.
WHAT DOES TREATMENT INVOLVE?
Treatment is determined by the extent and level of the whiplash, and factor is given to general health and your age. Initial therapy can include:
- Short term rest (a day or two)
- Ice, for first day or two; then alternate ice and temperature
- Gentle range-of-motion exercises
- Anti-inflammatory drugs (over-the-counter or prescription)
- Muscle relaxants
*When using ice, make certain the cool source is draped in a towel to safeguard your skin area. Don’t apply ice for longer than 15 minutes at a time.
If your pain does not disappear inside a reasonable timeframe, or when it is serious, your doctor may recommend trigger-point injections, physical treatment, chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, and/or use of a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) device.
Soft collars, although once trusted for whiplash, are not employed so frequently anymore, since by immobilizing the neck, the muscles can weaken and delay recovery.
Surgery is rarely warranted by whiplash. If your pain persists even after you’ve undergone nonsurgical treatment, your doctor might advise surgery, according to what structures have already been injured and how serious the harm is. It is vital that you understand the risks carried with surgery. Thus, you should have a thorough conversation with your doctor.
Sources
Whiplash. Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.org/disorders-situations/whiplash/basics/meaning/con-20033090.
Whiplash. MedicineNet. / whiplash/article.htm Whiplash.
Whiplash Injury. Hopkins Medicine. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/ healthlibrary/problems/adult/spine_shoulder_and_pelvis_disorders/whiplash_injury_85,p01388/.
The Division of Workers’ Compensation recognized Shelton & Shelton Plumbing, LP in Killeen and Texas Hydraulics, Inc. in Temple for exemplary workplace safety programs and low rates of work-related injuries and illnesses. The Division presented the companies with the Division of Workers’ Compensation’s (DWC’s) Lone Star Safety Program Award. “I’m proud to award these Texas employers for their outstanding safety practices,” said Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation Ryan Brannan. “We think they will serve as models for other employers.” Shelton & Shelton Plumbing, LP builds wastewater, storm, and sewer lines. The company is a first-time recipient of the Lone Star Safety Award, and is recognized for increasing safety inspections, maintaining employee and management training in identification of hazards, reinforcing the reporting of safety and health concerns, and increasing employee participation. Shelton & Shelton Plumbing also participates in DWC’s Occupational Safety and Health Consultation (OSHCON) Program, and was recently awarded its ninth Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) designation by DWC and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). SHARP recipients are exempt from certain OSHA inspections.
Since its establishment five months ago, the new in-house fraud unit at the Division of Workers’ Compensation has opened more than 40 investigations and hired additional fraud investigators to extend its reach. “It’s a huge benefit to have a fraud unit that is 100 percent dedicated to workers’ compensation,” said Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation Ryan Brannan. “In-house investigators are more exposed to workers’ compensation issues, so they are aware of the latest schemes.” Teresa Carney, DWC’s Director of System Monitoring and Oversight, said that in an effort to coordinate anti-fraud efforts, the unit reaches out to insurance carriers, district attorneys, fraud prevention groups, and DWC employees. “We can’t do it alone,” she said. “Workers’ compensation fraud impacts all Texans, and we want to work with people who want to help stop workers’ compensation fraud. Many complaints come from injured employees or insurance carriers, but we can also be proactive by reviewing the claim or medical billing data already on hand or tap people in our Hearings Division or maybe a field office, who help in the workers’ compensation system every day.”
Injured workers in Texas have better access to physicians who can treat them more quickly than they did 15 years ago, according to a September 2016 study by the Texas Department of Insurance’s Research and Evaluation Group (REG). The study found 84 percent of injured workers received initial care in seven days or less in 2015, compared to 76 percent in 2000. “That’s significant because improved timeliness means workers have a much better chance of getting back to work, and the cost for their care will be much lower,” said Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Ryan Brannan. The study measures the effectiveness of the workers’ compensation system to deliver timely and appropriate medical care to injured employees. It found that injured workers who aren’t treated within seven days have an average of about 40 percent more in medical costs over the first six months of an injury. In 2015, about half of injured workers saw a physician in one day or less. The average wait was 4.5 days.
The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation is taking a promising pilot program statewide to help simplify and speed resolution of some disputes. A pilot started last year splits up related claim issues so that a hearing officer can decide the most far-reaching issue first. This can clear the way for secondary issues to be resolved sooner. So far, about half of the disputes accepted for the program have had a hearing, and a third of those have resulted in full agreement to resolve the dispute. Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Ryan Brannan said he is encouraged by the outcomes. “The division has a number of tools in its toolkit to manage claims disputes,” Brannan said. “The two-step approach to deciding some of the most complex issues in a dispute can be a good option for system participants in certain cases.”
Does Neck Curvature Protect You In a Car Accident?
Does the curvature of your cervical spine play a determinant in the severity of injury sustained in a motor vehicle accident?
We asked Chiropractic Biophysics, Dr. Deed Harrison to comment on this subject matter.
Unfortunately, many people can relate to having been involved in a car crash or motor vehicle collision (MVC) at some point in their lives. Whether it was a major accident or a minor one, MVC’s are no fun and can cause a variety of minor to serious injuries to those persons in the vehicles. These injuries are commonly and collectively referred to as ‘Whiplash Injuries’. The financial implications of a MVC, as well as interruption of your daily routine due to whiplash are also other major detriments of car crashes that may take years to recover from.
With more distracted drivers texting and speaking on their phones, MVC’s are on the rise, making for much more dangerous roadways. While we cannot control other people’s behaviors, we can certainly drive more cautiously and defensively to hopefully avoid being in a car accident. Unfortunately, MVC’s do happen despite our best efforts, so being prepared and having a plan in mind is key to recovering quickly and getting back on our feet again.
More serious car accidents mean more serious injuries, ranging from cuts and bruise to broken bones, brain damage, and even death. At first, less serious MVC’s however, may not seem like a big deal, with victims often walking away without a scratch, believing they have escaped the crash unscathed. Others may only complain of a slight headache, neck pain, stiff or kinked neck while resorting to taking over the counter pain killers, or wearing a neck brace to assist with their recovery – something that is far from addressing the true cause of the injury.
What most lay people (and even many physicians) don’t realize is the extent to which the CERVICAL LORDOIS (curvature in your neck from the side) plays a role in both: 1) the extent of the initial injury to the occupant(s) and 2) the long term pain and suffering from whiplash injury to the occupants. Furthermore, the MVC itself will damage the cervical lordosis.
1. Concerning the extent of initial injury, researchers have found that having a well preserved cervical lordosis actually prevents neck tissue damage to the sensitive cervical spine ligaments.1 In the figure at the top, the right hand image demonstrates what a normal cervical curve looks like when viewed from the side and the person facing to the right. In contrast, the same researchers identified that straightened cervical curves and worse yet, reversed (kyphotic) cervical curves predisposed to more severe cervical spine tissue injuries due to more extreme forces acting on the neck during the exact same MVC circumstances. The x-rays above at the far left and the middle show abnormal neck curves where more severe injury to the person is likely to result should they be involved in an MVC.
Thus, if you already have an abnormal cervical curvature prior to any MVC, it is in your best interest to rehabilitate the shape and amount of your cervical lordosis. If you do not, you’re at a higher risk of having more serious injuries should you be involved in a MVC.
2. In terms of long term pain and suffering, several research studies have identified that the patients who experience long term whiplash injuries and suffering are in fact the ones that have abnormal cervical lordosis. Straightened, S-curves, and Reversed cervical curvatures have been found to pre-dispose to the following conditions after MVC.
• Neck pain and stiffness,
• Headaches,
• Arm pain,
• Thoracic outlet symptoms,
• Dizziness,
• Lack of concentration,
• Degenerative arthritis in the cervical spine,
• Disc herinations.
What many whiplash injured subjects don’t realize is that a slight headache or neck pain is a true sign of a much more serious injury to your cervical lordosis and underlying neck tissues. Spinal misalignments as a result of the sudden jolt of the MVC may manifest immediately, or not become evident at all for a long period of time. But this doesn’t mean the spine is healthy or that no injury was sustained.
The fact is that MVC’s statistically damage the shape of your cervical lordosis. Researchers from Chiropractic BioPhysics have identified that the average patient exposed to a MVC will lose 10 degrees of their cervical lordosis, develop a mid cervical kyphosis, and have increased forward head posture as a result of the MVC.
A misaligned cervical curvature as a result of a MVC is a serious health condition. Altered cervical curves will cause nerve interference – hindrance of critical nerve energy that is responsible for every function of our organs, and every movement of our limbs. Ignoring the cervical spinal misalignment can manifest into pain and discomfort, fatigue, sleep disorders, organ dysfunction, depression, and eventually disease.
If you have been in a minor or major car accident, please see a corrective care chiropractor immediately for a full assessment of the health of your spine, even if you don’t feel any discomfort whatsoever. A small misalignment can only get worse with time, so addressing this injury quickly can mean a faster recovery time and less health problems in the future.
Corrective methods using Chiropractic BioPhysics® or CBP® Technique extension traction procedures and devices are the only true evidence based methods that have been shown to statistically and clinically improve the amount of cervical lordosis without the use of surgery. This has been documented in several clinical trials and case reports.8-11 Other conservative methods may restore the cervical lordosis in selected cases, but these have never been proven in clinical trials and are thus, at best, hit and miss. If you are suffering from an altered cervical lordosis as a result of a MVC, use the procedures that are truly scientifically supported.
Chiropractic Treatments for Whiplash
View Whiplash Video
Because each individual case of whiplash is different, it is not possible to generalize about the chiropractic whiplash treatment.
See What Is Whiplash?
The appropriate chiropractic treatment is unique to each whiplash injury and is directed at the primary dysfunctions detected during the chiropractic exam.
However, chiropractors commonly employ different chiropractic treatments for whiplash, often including:
- Manipulation
- Muscle relaxation and/or stimulation
- Various exercises
- Ergonomic and lifestyle changes.
This article explains when, why and how chiropractors may employ these whiplash treatments for neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain and other related symptoms.
Chiropractic Manipulation for Whiplash
The primary whiplash treatment for joint dysfunction, spinal manipulation involves the chiropractor gently moving the involved joint into the direction in which it is restricted.
Also known as a chiropractic adjustment, spinal manipulation may involve the application of a short thrust in that direction. In many cases, instead of a thrust, a slow mobilizing movement is used by the chiropractor.
Muscle Relaxation or Stimulation as Whiplash Treatments
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The chiropractor's primary whiplash treatment for related muscle dysfunction, muscle relaxation and/or stimulation consist of gentle stretches to the muscle that has excessive tension or repeated contractions of the muscle that is inhibited.
If the muscle is very tight, a more vigorous stretch may be applied by the chiropractor. Gentle finger pressure techniques may be applied to trigger points to relieve the pain associated with the tight muscles.
McKenzie Exercises and Stabilization/Sensorimotor Activities
Chiropractors may employ different types of exercises, including McKenzie exercisesand/or stabilization and sensorimotor exercises, to help treat patients with whiplash injuries.
McKenzie exercises are specifically designed to reduce disc derangement related to a whiplash injury. They consist of simple movements that are initially done in the office but make for an easy transition to self-care at home. McKenzie exercises also help the patient take an active role in his or her own recovery.
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Stabilization and sensorimotor exercise approaches are designed to correct faulty movement patterns in routine activities and everyday life. Such whiplash treatment trains the nervous system to better coordinate and control movement patterns, and improves the ability of the neck muscles to maintain stability of the neck.
These exercises are designed to help in a major trauma, such as a fall or whiplash during a motor vehicle accident, or in "micro trauma" from simple things such as being jostled in a crowd, playing sports or performing occupational or home jobs that require physical effort.
Chiropractic Advice on Ergonomic and Lifestyle Changes
These whiplash treatment suggestions stress improvements for performing everyday activities with minimal strain to the body. The chiropractic advice addresses factors in an individual’s work, home or recreational activities that perpetuate the dysfunctions that result from the whiplash accident.
Additionally, spine care professionals at the chiropractic clinic may teach the patient better "use of self" and, if necessary, stress reduction methods to help chiropractic problems.
Whiplash Treatment in Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic on the Cervical Spine Video
The whiplash treatment plan developed by the chiropractor for each specific problem may include one or more of these approaches and may involve others as well.
See Chiropractic Manipulation for the Cervical Spine
In addition to his or her whiplash treatment plan, the doctor of chiropractic might give a referral to another health professional, such as a medical specialist, if it is deemed appropriate.
Research and locate chiropractors in your area that can help alleviate your back and neck pain.
Whiplash: More than Standard Neck Pain
“WHIPLASH, A SOFT TISSUE INJURY TO THE NECK, is also called neck sprain or neck strain. It is characterized by a collection of symptoms that occur following damage to the neck, usually because of sudden extension and flexion,” according to the National Institutes of Health.1
Approximately two-thirds of people involved in motor vehicle accidents develop symptoms of whiplash. The symptoms usually do not develop until two to 48 hours after the injury. Whiplash can also occur from falls, sports injuries, work injuries and other incidents.
Patients with whiplash injury may complain of pain and stiffness in the neck, extending into the shoulders and arms, upper back and even the upper chest. Two-thirds of patients suffer with headaches, especially at the base of the skull. Patients may also experience dizziness, difficulty swallowing, nausea and even blurred vision after injury, but these symptoms tend to resolve quickly.
According to Marshall, 45 percent to 85 percent of people who suffer a whiplash injury have the symptoms five years after the accident, and 82 percent had a straightening or reversal of their cervical curvature.2 "Many authors regard a straightening or reversal of the normally lordotic curvature to be one of the most significant changes of a whiplash injury.” 3
“The initial injury is due to damage of cervical muscles, ligaments, disks, blood vessels and nerves. The actual injury to soft tissues happens so rapidly that normal protective muscle reflexes cannot respond in time to decrease or prevent the injury,” according to a 2006 case report in the Journal of the American Chiropractic Association.3
The Diagnosis
To diagnose whiplash, a DC must first take a thorough history of the injury and the patient’s previous medical history. Pre-existing conditions, such as arthritis, may increase the severity of the whiplash. The DC should give the patient an in-depth physical examination with concentration on the neuromusculoskeletal system.
Similar to asking about whiplash injuries from motor vehicle accidents, DCs should ask the patient questions that reveal the details of a sports-related incident. DCs must ask patients with vehicular accident injuries, “Where was the impact from? Were you moving at the time? Did you have a seatbelt on? What type of seatbelt? Were you braced for impact? Did you hit anything in the vehicle?” says Dr. Alan Sokoloff, team chiropractor for the Baltimore Ravens. “You have to do the same for sport-related neck injuries, too,” he says.
Dr. Sokoloff explains that he “encounters doctors that say, ‘I do not treat sports injuries,’ but if you are treating injuries from auto accidents and really dig into the mechanism of the injury with all of its details, it’s pretty much the same.”
Advanced Imaging
In some cases, advanced imaging may be necessary to make a proper diagnosis. A cervical CT scan is ordered if a DC suspects cervical spine trauma, such as a vertebral fracture, if the patient complains of paresthesia of the hands, if the patient is unconscious or has severe pain together with neurological deficits, explains Jerrold Simon, DC, president of the ACA Rehab Council.
“A cervical MRI is ordered when the whiplash patient complains of neck pain with radicular symptoms, such as a tingling sensation radiating down the arms or if there is suspected cervical spine trauma and the clinical findings suggest ligamentous damage. A cervical MRI may be ordered as a follow-up to normal cervical CT scan if the above symptoms are present,” says Dr. Simon.
Treatment
In treating whiplash injury, patients should be reminded to stay active, unless immobilization is necessary due to serious injury. “A cervical foam collar may be needed during the first few days following the incident if the cervical trauma is severe. However, in general, cervical collars are not recommended,” says Dr. Simon.
Immediately after the whiplash injury, Dr. Simon applies an ice compress to the posterior para-cervical spine musculature for about 10 minutes on a periodic basis. Ice compresses are generally only used for the first 48 hours after an injury.4
“A nutritional intervention for pain should include d-Phenylalanine 250 mg/day, dl-Phenylalanine 750 mg/day, L-tryptophan 3 g/day, and instruct the patient to to avoid coffee and other caffeinated beverages,” he says.
In addition, chiropractic care is beneficial. A retroactive study by Woodward et al. published in Injurydemonstrated that chiropractic treatment benefited 26 of 28 patients suffering from chronic whiplash syndrome.5 Chiropractic care in this study included spinal manipulation, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching and cryotherapy [ice-pack therapy].
A neck adjustment works to improve the mobility of the spine to increase range of motion, while also enhancing movement of the adjoining muscles. This will eventually eliminate pain, soreness and stiffness and allow a patient to painlessly turn and tilt the head. In addition to adjustments, a treatment plan of mobilization, massage or rehabilitative exercises may speed up the recovery process.
“Cervical rehabilitation procedures should be considered after the initial pain and inflammation have substantially subsided,” says Dr. Simon. “Then a functional capacity evaluation with focal attention to the cervical spine should be performed to assess the magnitude and degree of upper spinal functional deficiency.”
Following this test, a DC can decide if the patient should receive a treatment of isometric cervical flexion, extension and lateral flexion against resistance exercises, a proprioceptive rocker board, wobble board and/or gym ball exercises and vibration therapy.
“Every person is different, and everyone’s ability to heal is different, so how we treat patients is very individualized,” says Dr. Sokoloff. “We will use modalities initially, if indicated. We will use soft-tissue techniques, if indicated. We will usually use a chiropractic adjustment, if indicated. But the one procedure we always use is progressive rehabilitative exercises, in office and home recommendations.”
Home recommendations include proper computer and phone ergonomics, range-of-motion exercises and icing, to name a few.
“Treatment plans that do not hold the patient responsible for helping themselves cheat everyone,” says Dr. Sokoloff. “The more a patient is informed about home icing instructions, home exercise and activity of daily living modifications, the better the outcomes are for everyone.”
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Chiropractic care focuses on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of injuries and conditions associated with the musculoskeletal and nervous system. Whiplash is one of the most common types of neck injuries treated by chiropractors. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.