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What Is Whiplash?

You might have heard about whiplash or even experienced it yourself, but what do you really know about it? Revive Medical Center wants you to be prepared with the information that you need in order to be able to recognize whiplash if it occurs to you and to heal from it as painlessly as possible.

Whiplash Defined

Whiplash is a specific type of injury to the neck. Whiplash occurs with rapid movement back and forth of the head and neck. This is a soft tissue injury, which means that the ligaments and muscles in the neck are where the injury occurs. Whiplash isn’t considered a serious injury, but it’s an injury that can have long-lasting impact on someone’s life, especially if it isn’t treated properly.

Common Whiplash Symptoms

People who experience whiplash don’t always know that’s what’s happened right away. Usually within a day or two of the injury, neck pain and stiffness tend to set in. That tends to come with limited range of motion in the shoulders and neck area, as well as pain that increases when you try to move your head and neck. Fatigue, blurred vision, dizziness, and even numbness in your arms and hands can also be a problem.

What Causes Whiplash?

As we mentioned above, whiplash happens when your head and neck are thrown back and forth. The most common cause of whiplash is a car accident, particularly a rear-end collision. The speed of the cars involved can affect how severe the whiplash is. You can also experience whiplash as a result of sports injuries or because of an assault of some sort. 

Healing from Whiplash

If you’ve experienced whiplash, it’s really important to treat the condition quickly and properly. Rest is crucial, especially right after the injury. But other treatments, like over-the-counter pain relievers and hot and cold therapy, can also help. Chiropractic care helps to ensure that you experience pain relief and that your muscles and ligaments are properly aligned as they heal. In severe cases or if you’ve experienced whiplash in the past, you may need all of these techniques and more in order to fully heal from whiplash.

Have you been in an accident or experienced whiplash in another way? Revive Medical Center in Lawrenceville, GA can help you to heal. We can properly assess and diagnose whiplash for you, while also putting a treatment plan in place that can help you to fully heal. Contact us today and set up an appointment so we can help you to feel better.

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