Whiplash can have very negative effects on your well-being, especially if you don’t address it. No matter how the injury occurred, you should be seen and start care as soon as possible. If you initially left it to heal on its own and are noticing problems now, it’s not too late to seek care. Don’t let untreated whiplash hurt your quality of life.
Cause of Whiplash Injury
Whiplash is most commonly associated with car accidents but can be caused by any impact on the body that causes the neck to move back and forth rapidly. This “whip-like” snapping of the neck injures the neck’s vertebrae along with the muscles and ligaments that support them. Whether from an auto accident, sports collision, or fall, the force on the neck may severely impact the disc in that part of the spine.
Is whiplash dangerous?
Most cases of whiplash will result in pain and stiffness that will clear within a few weeks if properly treated. However, depending on the extent of the injury, whiplash can lead to more concerning issues, including headaches, dizziness, and blurry vision. If left untreated, these can become chronic issues.
Dangerous of Leaving Whiplash Untreated
You should never leave whiplash untreated. Even if you were only in a minor accident, you should be evaluated for potential trauma to your neck and spine. When you leave whiplash untreated, you open yourself up to more significant problems later on.
Untreated whiplash can increase your risk of injury in the future, limit your range of motion, lead to migraines, and cause pain in the neck and other parts of your body. Whiplash is something you want to avoid messing around with or trying to treat on your own. The sooner you can start treatment, the better. On the flip side, the longer the problem goes unaddressed, the longer it will take to heal and the more it will impact your quality of life.
Healing from Untreated Whiplash
Whether you were recently in an accident or looking to address untreated whiplash, chiropractic has shown to be particularly well-suited for relieving neck pain and other debilitating whiplash symptoms. Chiropractic adjustments can:
- restore movement lost after the accident
- overcome muscle weakness and enhance muscle tone
- speed recovery
- diminish chronic symptoms
- return the impacted discs to their natural alignment
Depending on the severity of the injury, your chiropractor may also recommend spinal decompression therapy, which will help to alleviate pressure on the affected discs and loosen stiff muscles, allowing the neck more ability to heal.
While getting care as soon as possible is best if untreated whiplash has begun to hurt your quality of life, seeing a chiropractor can help you get back to doing the things you love.
Whiplash Treatment in Lake Mary, Florida
At Lake Mary Chiropractic Center, our chiropractors are skilled at helping whiplash patients recover. If whiplash has been affecting your life, our team would love to help you return to your normal activities. We serve Lake Mary, Sanford, Heathrow, and the surrounding areas. Contact our office to get started on a care plan today!