Whiplash is an injury to the neck, and it is also known as a neck sprain or strain. It can cause quite a bit of pain, and it can make it very difficult for people to move their neck at all. Whiplash can be caused by a variety of different things, such as a blow to the body or head that causes the head to move forward or backward with a quick jerking motion. One of the most common causes of whiplash is a car accident. However, contact sports could be a cause, as well.

What Are the Symptoms of Whiplash?

In some cases, the symptoms of whiplash might develop almost immediately after the event. However, other times, it could take more than 24 hours for the symptoms to appear. The most common type of symptoms includes neck pain and stiffness in the neck area. People may also suffer from headaches, pain in the shoulders, or between the shoulder blades, and dizziness. They could also have pain or numbness in their arms or hands, and even low back pain. Some might find that they have trouble remembering or concentrating, of that they have trouble resting and sleeping.

It is always important to seek medical attention after you have suffered an injury to the neck of any type. You need to be checked out to see if there is other damage that goes beyond some muscle or ligament issues, and to make sure you do not have concussions and other issues.

Getting Treatment for Whiplash and Other Neck Injuries

If you are suffering from whiplash, you are undoubtedly looking for things that can help you to alleviate the pain. Once you have visited a doctor and have been checked to make sure there are no other injuries that could be causing the problem or that could be more dangerous to you, it is time to think about some of the different types of therapies you might want to try. In some cases, some rest and over the counter pain medications can help, but most want to find a better way to relieve the pain. Rio Vista Wellness Center offers a range of treatment options that can help with many different types of neck injuries, including whiplash.

You could try the neuromuscular therapy or the MyoKinesthetic treatments that are available today. These are more than mere massages. They utilize specific types of massage and movement to restore balance in the body. With the MyoKinesthetic System, the therapies will stimulate the muscles and can treat the origin of the problem, insertion, or the belly of the muscle, or all three areas, to provide treatment. The techniques they use serve to signal the brain and let it know what changes are happening, which can provide increased range of motion, along with a lasting decrease in the amount of pain a person feels.

The neuromuscular therapy can address many elements that cause pain including ischemia, trigger points, nerve compression, postural distortion, and biomechanical dysfunction. The goal of this type of therapy, also called trigger point therapy, is to reduce or eliminate pain quickly.

These are simple therapies, and many feel a difference in their levels of pain quickly, often after just a couple of sessions. In some cases, it might only take a single session. As you can see, there are some good ways that you can take care of your neck pain, and you may not have to resort to medications. Just be sure you are working with quality therapists.