Whiplash Treatments
Whether you are dealing with chronic pain, headaches, or tenderness in your body, there are treatments available that can provide relief. Learn more about these treatments, and how you can get the help you need.
Pain and tenderness
Symptoms of pain and tenderness after whiplash often don’t appear for several days or even weeks. However, it’s best to see a doctor if you’re experiencing pain or discomfort. Your doctor can develop a treatment plan for you and recommend medications. You may also be prescribed physical therapy or muscle relaxers. These medications can help to alleviate pain and prevent spasms in the muscles.
If your symptoms persist, your doctor might order x-rays to check for spinal injuries. If you’re unsure of whether or not you have a spinal cord injury, your doctor may also order magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These tests can show detailed images of bones and muscles.
While you’re waiting for results, you can reduce the pain and swelling of the injured area with ice and heat. You may also use a cervical collar for two to three weeks. This helps to stabilize the damaged areas and can help relieve neck pain.
You can also take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, to reduce the inflammation of inflamed tissue. You can also get nerve block therapy to reduce the pain and pressure on the nerves.
Adding back support to your chair can also provide relief. In addition, you should stay active during your recovery. If you’re able to do this, it can improve your chances of returning to normal activities.
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may be referred to a physical therapist or chiropractor. A physical therapist can recommend an exercise program to help strengthen the injured area and ease the pain. They can also prescribe painkillers, such as acetaminophen or aspirin.
A physical therapist can also use guided exercises to strengthen the injured area and increase the range of motion. They can also prescribe specific muscle exercises to help you avoid painful spasms.
Headaches
Among the most common injuries after a car accident is a whiplash. It is also one of the most painful. Usually, the pain will start in the neck and go on to the forehead. Some people also suffer from shoulder pain.
If you have recently had a car accident, it’s important to seek medical attention immediately. This is especially true if you experience headaches. It’s not uncommon for headaches to be the first symptom of an injury. Depending on the severity of your accident, you may need to take a number of medications.
Several people think that headaches are simply a result of genetics. Others believe they are caused by hormones or chemicals. However, the best way to determine the cause of your headaches is to figure out what is causing them.
For example, you might have a tension headache, which is more difficult to distinguish from a migraine. However, if you have a constant headache, you might be experiencing an underlying neck problem. Luckily, you can remedy this by using posture re-education.
Acupuncture and massage are two methods for addressing pain. In addition, you can use over-the-counter medications to relieve the pain.
A good rule of thumb is to see your doctor as soon as you begin to feel the effects of whiplash. This will allow you to minimize the likelihood of further injury.
You might also want to get a spinal injection. This will help reduce the chronic pain associated with whiplash. Some people find relief by applying heat to the back of their neck.
Often, a good quality chiropractic adjustment will also be able to ease your headaches. Some chiropractors will ask you how long you’ve had the symptoms. They will also ask you if you experience pain with movement.
Tingling and weakness in fingertips
Symptoms of tingling and weakness in fingertips after whiplash can be caused by a variety of problems, including damage to the nerves. Fortunately, there are many treatment options, including steroid injections.
If the pain is not severe or accompanied by numbness, you can usually manage the symptom on your own. However, if the numbness persists or the pain worsens, you should consult your doctor.
An x-ray or CT scan may show that the nerves are damaged. The radial and ulnar arteries may also be affected, which slows circulation. Getting treated for these conditions as soon as possible can help prevent future problems.
Several other causes of hand tingling include strains, sprains, and dislocations. It’s often the result of trauma, such as a car accident. Tingling and numbness can also occur as a result of neurologic diseases, such as a stroke or a tumor.
A pinched nerve can also cause a tingling sensation. This occurs when the nerve is caught in a bony or muscle tissue. This can be caused by an injury, a herniated disc, or even a knot in a muscle. A manual therapy technique can be used to get the nerve back into place.
Another cause of hand tingling is vascular damage. This can affect the radial and ulnar arteries in the hand. If the blood vessels are damaged, they may not be able to send enough blood to the hands. It can also be a result of dehydration or lack of exercise.
A concussion is another potential cause of tingling and weakness in fingertips after a whiplash. This can be a highly disruptive experience for the patient. In addition to causing a ringing in the ears, it can disrupt the body’s ability to perform daily activities.
Chronic pain
Symptoms associated with whiplash may persist after the acute phase. While some patients exhibit features of neuropathic pain, most are asymptomatic. These symptoms may be minor or have a causal relationship with an underlying condition.
A biopsychosocial model of chronic pain postulates that patient expectations, focus, and expectations of new symptoms all influence the character of chronic symptoms. Treatment of chronic symptoms is aimed at changing injured persons’ behaviors.
Chronic pain after whiplash is associated with hypersensitivity of the central nervous system and spinal cord. The mechanisms of this hypersensitivity include plasticity changes in neuronal structures that are responsible for exaggerated pain responses to low-intensity stimulation. This increased sensitivity may explain the chronic nature of whiplash injury.
MRI imaging may help predict long-term symptoms of whiplash. It can also be used to predict PTSD. Moreover, it can be used to assess the degree of disability in whiplash injury.
The Quebec Task Force on WAD reported that the burden on the healthcare system is increasing. It was estimated that 40% of WAD patients were afflicted with chronic pain. The economic burden of WAD is substantial.
Whiplash injury has been classified as a complex chronic pain syndrome. It can be characterized by local tender points, neurological signs, and referred pain. Acute whiplash is usually reversible, although it may take months to recover.
A number of studies have examined the association between neck tenderness and the development of long-term symptoms. These studies have been underpowered to draw statistically significant conclusions. However, they show only weak associations between neck tenderness and long-term symptoms.
Whiplash is often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia, a chronic disorder. In fact, whiplash can mimic fibromyalgia symptoms.
A study from Greece, however, shows that whiplash symptoms are cultural. A whiplash victim can have a variety of symptoms, including visual and auditory disturbances, dizziness, anxiety, depression, dysphonia, and insomnia.
Treatment options
Fortunately, there are several treatment options for whiplash. However, it’s important to know that putting off treatment can cause chronic problems. It’s a good idea to seek medical care immediately after an accident and to follow the doctor’s advice.
For mild injuries, over-the-counter pain relievers such as Advil can help. However, severe whiplash victims may need more aggressive treatment. The doctor may prescribe steroid injections or more potent pain relievers.
Massage therapy is also a good way to alleviate muscle tension and reduce pain. Acupuncture is another alternative, and can be combined with physical therapy.
The most important thing to remember about whiplash is that every person heals at a different rate. That means that some people’s recovery time can be long while others’ is short.
Some studies have shown that motion exercises can improve the healing process. Specifically, rotating exercises that are repeated 10 times an hour can provide relief.
Using an ice pack can also help with inflammation. Using an ice pack for 20 minutes at a time can limit swelling. You can alternate between cold and heat to reduce pain.
It’s also worth noting that acupuncture can be a useful tool in treating whiplash. This is because it can improve physical and psychological health. Combined with other therapies, it can be a highly effective treatment option.
One of the most common whiplash symptoms is neck pain. This is because the whiplash muscles are forced to stretch up when the neck is moved.
The best way to deal with pain is to relax and release tension. It’s also important to improve the strength and flexibility of the neck. That can help prevent a repeat injury.
Acupuncture is a relatively safe therapy. The most effective treatments use a combination of massage and other methods to stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal.
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U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
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Health A-Z. (2022, April 26). Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/health-a-z-4014770
Harvard Health. (2015, November 17). Health A to Z. https://www.health.harvard.edu/health-a-to-z
Health Conditions A-Z Sitemap. (n.d.). EverydayHealth.com. https://www.everydayhealth.com/conditions/
