If you or someone you know has been involved in a motor vehicle accident in Atlanta, there's a good chance you've suffered a whiplash injury.
When your body, more specifically your neck, is exposed to a sudden impact that causes it to jerk forward and backward, it can be pushed well beyond its limits.
When this happens, whether in a motor vehicle collision, a slip and fall accident, or a sports accident, your neck and the tendons surrounding it restrict, causing severe stiffness that can limit your range of motion and cause a great deal of pain.
Fortunately, an Atlanta Whiplash Chiropractor is specially trained to treat whiplash injuries and many other accident injuries.
In the article, we will discuss several ways chiropractors in Atlanta can treat whiplash injuries.
Table of Contents
- Determining If You Have A Whiplash Injury
- Common Chiropractic Techniques
- How Do I Pay For Chiropractic Care After A Whiplash Injury?
- Schedule A Free Consultation with the Arrowhead Clinic in Atlanta
Determining If You Have A Whiplash Injury
Whiplash is a soft tissue injury that causes damage to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the neck.
Whiplash doesn't appear on x-rays like a broken bone would, and it may take you days or even weeks until you feel symptoms after your accident.
Common whiplash symptoms are:
- A feeling of pins and needles in the arm
- Neck pain, stiffness, or tightness
- Shoulder pain
- Pain when you move your neck or the inability to move it
- Headaches
- Pain in your arms, neck, or lower back
- Dizziness and fatigue
Other symptoms you may experience are:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Blurred vision
- Ringing in the ears
- Memory problems
- Depression
If you leave whiplash untreated, it will take much longer to heal. It could lead to complications and a much longer recovery period.
This is why it's essential to see a whiplash chiropractor as soon as possible after your accident.
Common Chiropractic Techniques
Chiropractic care for whiplash is safe and effective and doesn't require pain medication or surgery.
Make sure you work with an experienced chiropractor in Atlanta because a full recovery depends on your chiropractor's knowledge, training, and experience.
Treatments will vary from patient to patient based on the severity of the injury and any pre-existing conditions.
They may include:
- Rest: The initial phase of your treatment program may include plenty of rest. You need to receive enough relative rest, so you don't aggravate your injury and cause painful inflammation.
- Exercise: Your chiropractor in Atlanta Chiropractor may recommend low-impact aerobic activities like swimming to keep you active without risking further damage.
- Chiropractic Adjustments: Spinal adjustments, sometimes called chiropractic adjustments, improve mobility, reduce pain, and enhance healing. Adjustments can be done manually or by using adjusting instruments depending on your individual needs.
- Corrective Spinal Rehabilitation: This method uses specific chiropractic adjustments, exercises, and traction to achieve spinal correction. This helps reduce the stress and strain on your spinal cord and nerves to improve your health and performance with reduced pain and restored stability and strength to your spine.
- Spinal Decompression: Spinal decompression involves mechanical stretching of your spine to remove harmful pressure on your discs, relieve pain, improve mobility, and improve healing and disc hydration.
Your Atlanta chiropractor may also recommend stretching and movement exercises to help restore your range of motion.
These exercises may include:
- Neck circles
- Tilting your head side to side
- Bending your neck toward your chest
- Shoulder rolls
Be sure not to begin any exercise program without first speaking to your chiropractor.
Your main goal is to resume your normal activities. Still, you don't want to jeopardize your recovery by aggravating your injury.
And be sure to keep up with all of your chiropractic appointments.
Just because you aren't experiencing any symptoms does not mean you've made a complete recovery.
It takes careful consideration and monitoring from your chiropractor to determine when a patient makes a complete recovery to avoid the return of symptoms or future problems.
How Do I Pay For Chiropractic Care After A Whiplash Injury?
Many people avoid chiropractic care because they are worried about the cost of care.
But, you should never let costs get in the way of your health.
Your chiropractor should give you an estimate of what your care might cost during your free consultation.
Your chiropractor will ensure you have a clear understanding of your diagnoses, treatment plan, and the time and financial costs associated with your plan.
You do have a few options when it comes to how you want to pay for your care.
If your accident was caused by someone else, your care is almost always covered by their insurance company or by a personal injury lawsuit.
Schedule A Free Consultation with Arrowhead Clinic in Atlanta
The chiropractors at Arrowhead Clinic in Atlanta can serve as the first line of defense against the chronic pain and severe damage caused by whiplash.
If you refuse treatment, you could worsen your condition and deal with the symptoms of your whiplash injury for years to come.
The earlier your injury is diagnosed and treated, the sooner you can begin your recovery and prevent long-term health complications.
Even if you don't experience severe, immobilizing pain, you will likely still experience recurring pain that can vary in its extent and severity.
After receiving your initial chiropractic treatments, our team of professional, friendly chiropractors in Atlanta will also work with your insurance provider and guide you through the necessary paperwork.
If someone else's negligence caused your whiplash injury, we can also refer you to an experienced personal injury attorney in Atlanta.
To schedule the appointment for your Free Consultation with the doctors at Arrowhead Clinic in Atlanta today, click the button below.
