Your pain and misery as a result of a whiplash injury might not feel any better if you were told that there is no immediate evidence of injury to the bones of your neck on your X-rays. However this is often the case, because initially nothing may show up on an X-ray unless the accident was very severe. Symptoms can take months or even longer to appear. The problem may be in the muscles and ligaments, which do not appear on an X-ray.

 

 Chiropractors treat problems with your joints, bones and muscles, and the effects they have on your nervous system.  Working on all the joints of your body, concentrating particularly on the spine, they usetlzeir hands to make gentle, specific adjustments to improve the efficiency of your nervous system and release your body's natural healing ability. Chiropractic does not involve the use of any drugs or surgery.

Changes to normal neck movement

Rather than just a simple sprain to the muscle and ligaments of the neck, research shows that during a road traffic accident involving a rear-end shunt, the neck curves in an abnormal S-shape which grossly alters normal neck movement.  Normally, the joints at the back of your neck glide over each other and are self-lubricated, but a whiplash injury forces them together, damaging the surrounding area, which includes nerves, muscles, ligaments and discs.

There are tiny receptors in the ligaments around the neck called proprioceptors. These relay information to your brain about the position of the joints. If these ligaments have been damaged due to whiplash, you may experience dizzyness or light headedness as well as:

• neck pain
• headaches
• arm pain
• fatigue
• poor concentration

Chiropractic Manipulation for Whiplash

The primary whiplash treatment for joint dysfunction, spinal manipulation involves the chiropractor gently moving the involved joint into the direction in which it is restricted. Also known as a chiropractic adjustment, spinal manipulation may involve the application of a short thrust in that direction. In many cases, instead of a thrust, a slow mobilizing movement is used by the chiropractor.