How Chiropractic Care Can Help With Whiplash?

According to the American Chiropractic Association, chiropractic care can relieve and treat whiplash. You can get this type of injury from a strong, abrupt hyperflexion and hyperextension of the neck. Whiplash results from some kind of trauma, usually from a vehicular accident. Although many people resort to medical interventions, safer and natural solutions are available. One of them is chiropractic care. If you are considering going to your chiropractor for this injury, here’s what you should know about the ways chiropractic care can help with whiplash.
 

Correct Diagnosis

The first step in chiropractic care for whiplash is proper diagnosis. Here, your chiropractor will use an MRI or an X-ray to assess the gravity of the damage. Your spine needs a complete evaluation to determine sections of injury, restricted motion, and muscle spasm. Motion and static palpation is a touch technique that your chiropractor will use to determine the mobility, tenderness, and tightness in your cervical spine. You should also expect your chiropractic expert to assess your spinal alignment, gait, and posture.
 

Manual Therapies

Various manual therapies can target and treat the damaged muscles and ligaments in your neck. Some of them are:
 

• Graston. Your chiropractor can use this technique to treat the soft tissues in your neck. Graston uses an instrument and gentle, repetitive strokes over your cervical area.

• Trigger point. With this technique, your chiropractor can determine the exact pain points of your neck muscles. This is possible by exerting pressure on them through the fingers. Repetitive pressing motion relieves your neck muscle tension.

• Resistance and joint stretching. Through this paired method, your neck joints and muscles loosen up.

• Massage. Therapeutic massage can also loosen the muscles and relieve the tension in your neck.
   

Spinal Manipulation

Your chiropractor may want to use this common chiropractic treatment. Here are some of the widely used spinal manipulation methods:
 

• Specific. With this kind of spinal manipulation, your chiropractor can help bring back the motion in your neck joint. The therapy involves gentle thrusts that stimulate your nervous system. It also stretches the soft muscle tissue in your neck.

• Instrument-assisted. This technique involves using a hand-held therapeutic instrument. This applies force on your neck without applying thrusts on your cervical spine.

• Flexion-distraction. You may have a herniated or bulging disc in your cervical area that worsens your whiplash. If this is the case, your chiropractor uses this non-thrusting, gradual pumping motion on the disc.
   

Other Interventions

To treat the inflammation in your neck, your chiropractor can also use ultrasound or interferential electrical stimulation. Your chiropractor can use ultrasound to decrease pain, spasms, and stiffness in your neck. The soundwaves penetrate into your cervical muscles and create heat that improves circulation. On the other hand, the gentle electrical current from the interferential electrical stimulation reduces inflammation.
 

Chiropractic care can target and treat your whiplash without pain relievers or surgery. At Brookdale Health, we can help you regain your normal physical mobility the natural way. Please visit our clinic in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, for a one-on-one consultation. You can also call us at 763-561-4045 if you want to schedule an appointment. That way, we can answer your questions about our chiropractic care for whiplash and other auto injuries.