Car accidents are terrible. They are expensive, and even more so when an injury is involved. While every car crash is different, most of the injuries sustained in car accidents are all relatively similar. This is because there is only so much movement that can happen in a confined space like in a car. While some of these injuries might go away, some do not begin to show up until after a few days have passed. These are known as “invisible injuries”. These include
- whiplash
- headaches
- neck/back pain
- knee pain
Many patients think that these injuries or symptoms will just go away, but without proper medical attention, they get worse or have a lasting impact on your life. Whiplash especially can cause chronic symptoms if it is not correctly treated.
What is whiplash, and why is it so serious?
Whiplash is a condition that occurs when the head is jerked around violently. This creates stress on the neck muscles and your spine. The rapid deceleration that takes place during a car accident is what makes this injury so common. Typically, the symptoms of whiplash take about 24 hours to show up. These include:
- neck pain & stiffness
- fatigue
- limited movement
- back & shoulder pain
- numbness
If left untreated, these symptoms can become chronic and lead to life-long pain or discomfort. The treatment is a relatively long process and gets longer the longer you take to start it. The treatment usually begins with doctors prescribing anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants. These do not solve the problem, however. For that, you need to see a physiotherapist.
Physiotherapy & whiplash
Since whiplash causes so many complications with many of your body’s muscles, physiotherapy is a necessary part of the treatment process. After sustaining whiplash, physiotherapists will help you restore your range of motion and bring down any internal inflammation.
One common technique is using a combination of massage and ultrasound therapy to release natural anti-inflammatories. Like we stated above, restoring your range of motion is another primary goal of physiotherapy. The longer you wait for treatment, the more your range of motion will decrease. Through manual therapy and custom exercises, physiotherapy allows your tissues to heal, and help reduce scar tissue and inflammation.
Even if the source of your discomfort does not stem from whiplash, your physiotherapist will help find the root cause of your injury and recover.
If you think you are suffering from whiplash or any other injury that is lingering and just will not go away, please give the physiotherapist team at Tieperman Health & wellness a call! Regardless of the injury, our team is here to help you recover, and get back to your normal way of life! For more information on our treatment options or to schedule an appointment at our Frisco chiropractor center, please contact us today!