Deerfield Beach Whiplash Treatment

Many people get whiplash after being in an automobile accident, but this type of injury can occur whenever a person’s head violently jolts back and forth, which can result in head and neck trauma. Some individuals might not feel symptoms of whiplash until days to weeks after their accident. For this reason, you should seek treatment after an accident in case your body is still in shock.

If you or a loved one suffered a whiplash injury in a Deerfield Beach, Florida, accident, our chiropractors at Specific Care Chiropractic can treat your injury. Our physicians offer Deerfield Beach whiplash treatment, which involves chiropractic adjustment techniques and physiotherapy. Our goal is to restore mobility and strength into your neck and upper spine so that you can resume regular activities.

Causes of Whiplash Often Include Auto Accidents and Work-Related Accidents

Mayo Clinic notes that automobile accidents are the most common cause of whiplash injuries, particularly rear-end accidents. Drivers in the front vehicle may get slammed in the back, which would then unexpectedly jerk their heads forward and back in the collision. Depending on the severity of the accident, victims may suffer other injuries alongside whiplash, such as concussions or sprains.

Other causes of whiplash include:

• Work-related accidents
• Sports activities, such as football or horse riding
• Military combat or boot camp training
• Slip and fall accidents
• Physical assault
• Falling or thrown objects that hit the head

Watch for Whiplash Symptoms So That Your Injury Doesn’t Worsen

As mentioned, some individuals may not experience immediate pain symptoms in the neck or shoulder area, which would indicate a whiplash injury. This can occur because the injured area is still swelling, and the body has yet to process the injury. Since 1980, this phenomenon has been referred to as “late whiplash syndrome,” as written in The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery.

Because whiplash symptoms can be delayed, accident victims should seek medical attention as soon as possible, even if they do not feel symptoms at first. You can prevent your whiplash injury from becoming more painful by having a physician take an imaging exam of your injury. This procedure can detect underlying strain or injuries on the cervical spine (the neck area) and outer extremities, such as the shoulders, elbows, or hips.

Symptoms of Whiplash

Common signs of a whiplash injury include:

• Neck pain or stiffness
• Headaches or migraines, particularly at the base of the skull
• Blurred vision
• Limited range of motion in the neck
• Soreness in the neck area, shoulders, or upper arms
• Dizziness
• Tenderness in the neck, shoulders, or upper arms
• Numbness or tingling near the injured site
• Fatigue

In some cases, people with whiplash injuries can suffer from concussions. This can lead to other cognitive symptoms, such as memory problems, concentration difficulties, or mood changes (e.g., depression or irritability). Do not take your symptoms lightly. Leaving them untreated may result in permanent damage or chronic whiplash symptoms.

Don’t Let Your Whiplash Symptoms Become Permanent

In 1980, The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery shed light on “late whiplash syndrome,” which is a condition where patients suffer chronic whiplash symptoms. By 2016, BMC Public Health confirmed that a percentage of whiplash victims still suffered symptoms and had a “poorer quality of life” up to five years after their injury occurred.

If left untreated, whiplash symptoms can cause permanent harm, resulting in:

• Nerve damage in the neck
• Chronic pain in the neck, shoulders, and other areas affected by the whiplash injury
• Chronic headaches or migraines
• Lost range of motion in the cervical area

Our Facility Offers Chiropractic Treatment for People with Whiplash Injuries

At Specific Care Chiropractic, we offer whiplash treatment near Deerfield Beach, Florida. When you come in for your first appointment, we will conduct a physical exam and request scanned images of the injured region to determine the severity of your whiplash injury. Once we understand your physical limitations, we can build a treatment plan that gradually helps you restore functionality in your cervical spine.

Your treatment plan may involve:

Chiropractic Adjustments

Chiropractic care is a supported treatment option for whiplash injuries in the medical field. Publications, such as the Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapeutics and Work, report that chiropractic manipulation on the cervical spine can help patients increase their neck’s range of motion and reduce pain symptoms.

At our facility, we practice various adjustment techniques, from diversified to sacral-occipital technique (SOT). However, regarding whiplash injuries, we may use these techniques:

Seated Diversified

A modified version of the diversified technique, this method focuses on the cervical area of the spinal cord. Patients sit upright in a chair to receive adjustments.

Manual Extremity Manipulation

If your whiplash injury extends to your shoulders, elbows, and hands, then our chiropractors may perform adjustments on these outer extremities to relieve pain or pressure.

Knee-Chest

This is another cervical-focused technique that helps patients reduce pain in their upper bodies. Patients rest their upper bodies and heads on the adjustment table during the manipulation process.

Activator

For acute pain, our chiropractors may use an activator device to target the precise pain point in your neck. This method involves using a high-velocity, low-amplitude (HVLA) thrusting device. This technique is gentler on patients while achieving desired results.

Physiotherapy

Our facility uses physiotherapy to strengthen our patients’ muscles, joints, and spinal cords during their recovery. While chiropractic care allows patients to relieve pain in the injured site, physiotherapy serves as the treatment to restore their mobility, flexibility, and muscle strength.

You may be prescribed the following therapies as part of your rehabilitation plan:

• Corrective care, which involves adjusting chiropractic techniques based on your body’s response to treatment sessions and its natural healing process
• Massage therapy, which involves using massage techniques to increase blood circulation in your body
• Electrical muscle stimulation (E-STIM) therapy, which involves shooting electric pulses into the injured site to restore damaged muscle tissue and reduce inflammation
• Rehabilitative therapy, which involves supervised stretching and strengthening exercises
• Ultrasound therapy, which involves using ultrasound wave technology to reduce the pain in your muscle tissue

Get Deerfield Beach Whiplash Treatment at Specific Care Chiropractic

If you or a loved one has a painful whiplash injury from an accident, Specific Care Chiropractic can treat it. Our physicians can examine the severity of your injury and build a treatment plan to lead you toward recovery. Many whiplash victims’ symptoms worsen as the shock of the accident wears off their bodies. If that happens to you, we will adapt your treatment as needed during your rehabilitation.

Call (239) 369-9109 today to schedule your first appointment at our facility near Deerfield Beach.