Posts Tagged ‘Whiplash’

Neck Pain, Whiplash and Chiropractic Care

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Have you ever felt the neck pain associated with a whiplash accident?

By far the most common injury that our patients suffer when hit by another car from behind is neck pain. Neck pain as a result of a car accident is usually caused by muscles and ligaments being stretched and torn from the force of the accident. I treat many people injured in car accidents in my San Diego Chiropractic office because chiropractic care is perfect for the types of injuries found in car accidents.

When you are in your vehicle and hit from behind, the first thing that happens is that your neck straightens and your head is whipped backward. As your head whips backward, the muscles in the front of your neck are stretched to their limit and sometimes beyond. The stretch placed on these muscles pulls and tears some of the muscle fibers causing a painful, strained or bruised feeling.

After your head is whipped backward, the muscles that were stretched in the front of your neck experience a forceful, reflexive contraction that whips your head forward and stretches or tears the muscles in the back of your neck which also causes a painful strained feeling in the neck.

Your neck is more likely to be injured in a car accident than other parts of your back because it has the smallest muscles, it has the least protection from the vehicle and it has to balance and control the weight of your head. All these factors lead to easy injury on the neck in a rear end type motor vehicle.

Chiropractic care is ideal for treatment injuries like whiplash. Chiropractic care reduces your pain, improves your mobility and helps you heal faster.

Your’s In Good Health


Dr. Jones

(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com

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Chiropractic Care, Neck Pain and Whiplash

Friday, December 11th, 2009

If you suffer with neck pain, I feel your pain. Ever since I was a kid I have struggled with neck pain and stiffness.

After becoming a chiropractor and seeing x-rays of my neck, I have to conclude that had I received regular chiropractic care early on I would not have the issues that I have today.

My first set of chiropractic x-rays from 1991 showed mild arthritis in the joints of my neck. I was only 27 years old – and I had arthritis in my neck! Arthritis is usually thought of as an old persons condition. In reality, arthritis is more time related than age related.

In my case, a car accident in my teens led to chronic neck pain and stiffness. I did get some chiropractic care to relieve my pain but I quit treatment way to soon and didn’t make chiropractic care a priority in my budget until many years later. By that time, the damage had been done. The arthritis had started and I was well on my way to chronic neck pain.

Chiropractic care following car accidents helps restore normal movements of the joints in your back. It also helps reduce muscle spasms and break down scar tissue which can also be a source of pain and muscle spasm.

Since scar tissue build up and abnormal joint motion leads to arthritis, and chiropractic care helps break down scar tissue and improve joint motion, I can only conclude that had I received the chiropractic care that I needed that I would not be dealing with as many neck problems as I currently have.

Your’s In Good Health


Dr. Jones

(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com

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Whiplash and Headaches

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Have you been involved in a whiplash accident? Do you have neck pain and headaches?

We treat patients who have been in whiplash accidents on a daily basis. One of the more common complaints that our whiplash patients have is headaches. In fact, I would say that headaches are the most common complaint that car accident victims have next to neck pain.

Usually headaches from car accidents are caused by damage to the neck muscles and the muscle tension from the accident. In my practice, almost everyone that I see with headache issues from a car accident also has neck pain. That is not to say that everyone with neck pain has headaches although at least 50% of them do.

Car accidents generate a lot of force through the neck and upper back. Under circumstances like those found during car accidents, the weight of your head is simply too much for the smaller muscles in the neck and at the base of the skull. When those muscles get stretched and torn, the other surrounding muscles tighten up as a protective mechanism. It is those tight muscles that trigger the muscle tension headaches that are so common after car accidents.

Chiropractic care safely and effectively helps you recover from both neck pain and headaches. Chiropractic manipulations ease muscle tension, improve your range of motion and reduce your pain. This care combined with at home therapies including ice packs, light stretching, light exercise and rest can help you regain your health.

Your’s In Good Health


Dr. Jones

(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com

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Neck Pain, Whiplash and Chiropractic Care

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Of all the symptoms that people suffer as a result of a whiplash injury, neck pain is the most common. Over the last 20 years, my San Diego Chiropractic Center has successfully provided treatment for hundreds of patients who have been injured in automobile accidents. Most of those patients indicate that their worst injury as a result of the accident involves their necks.

Whiplash accidents have a magnified effect on our necks because the muscles that support our necks are relatively week compared to the weight of our heads that they have to support. When we are in a rear-end type of accident that is known for producing neck injuries, the impact produces a wave of energy that travels up our spines and snaps our heads and necks sort of like when you crack a whip.  The result is neck pain.

The muscles that move and support the neck and head simply become overwhelmed by the “whipping” motion of the spine and they end up getting stretched, strained, torn and sometimes even their attachment points are torn from the bone. Sounds painful doesn’t it? I have been unfortunate enough to experience this type of injury on a few occasions and I can confirm that it can be quite painful.

I have explained in blog posts in the past that joint injuries, like whiplash, follow a predictable path. In cases of whiplash, the joint is irritated / injured by the accident. The joint then becomes inflamed and the muscles around the injured joint spasm in order to limit movement of the injured joint. The inflammation causes pain and the muscle spasm causes stiffness and tightness. If the inflammation lasts for a long enough period of time, like more than 7 to 10 days, scar tissue and adhesions begin to form which further limit joint motion and also become a source of pain.

It is because of this process that a seemingly simple car accident injury can cause a lifetime of pain if it is not treated properly and in a timely manner.

Your’s In Good Health


Dr. Jones

(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com

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Whiplash Treatment

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Chiropractic care is currently the best available treatment for whiplash injuries. Whiplash refers to the “whipping” back and forth of the head and neck. This whipping motion strains muscles, sprains ligaments and damages joint surfaces. Sometimes whiplash forces are strong enough to pinch nerves, herniated discs and occasionally break bones.                                  
Whiplash treatment should not be taken lightly. Statistically 25% of all people who suffer painful symptoms related to whiplash never make a full recovery. That means that 25% of car accident victims who seek care will continue to deal with pain in the future.

Chiropractic care for whiplash revolves around healing the muscles and ligaments with a variety of therapies and restoring full, free and painless range of motion with chiropractic adjustments. Under the care of a chiropractor, once you are pain free you will work on specific stretches and exercises to help support your spine to insure your best chances at complete recovery.

Chiropractic care for whiplash is a proactive treatment. Its success depends on you (the patient) maintaining recommended treatment schedules and following at home instructions regarding icing, rest, exercise and various other activities.

Whiplash is considered a sprain / strain type of an injury and as such should resolve in about 8 to 16 weeks with proper care.

Your’s In Good Health


Dr. Jones

(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com

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Hurt in a Car Accident?

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Statistics indicate that every seven years you will be involved in an automobile accident. Before you panic you should know that in my San Diego based Chiropractic Clinic we provide treatment for those patients involved in auto accidents on a regular basis. I have treated patients in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s who have never been in a car accident and I have treated people who are in their 20’s and 30’s who have been in half a dozen. Some people just have enough accidents to cover all of us!

The most common injury resulting from car accidents is whiplash. Whiplash is a non-medical term that describes an injury that involves straining, spraining and sometimes tearing of the muscles and ligaments that move and support our joints, especially the joints of our spines.

Whiplash is most often associated with rear-end type auto accidents in which the heads and necks of those in the car being hit are suddenly snapped violently backward and forward by the force of the impact.

Whiplash can occur at almost any speed, even in low force auto accident at speeds as low or less than 5mph. Whiplash can also be related to other incidents or mishaps in which the head is pushed or jerked beyond its normal range of motion.

Common outcomes of auto accident injuries include serious and chronic neck pain, as well as back pain, headaches, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, nausea, numbness and dizziness. More serious injuries such as bruising of the brain can sometimes occur in auto accidents resulting in concussion.

If you were injured in an auto accident it is important to get evaluated by a chiropractor who is trained to deal with injuries related to auto accidents.

Your’s In Good Health


Dr. Jones

(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com

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Common Symptoms of Whiplash

Monday, October 26th, 2009

Most of the whiplash patients that I see in my San Diego Chiropractic Clinic complain of the same basic group of symptoms. Whiplash usually refers to neck pain that results from a sudden “whipping” of the neck and head that follows such things as motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, accidental falls and other injuries.

If you have ever been in a car accident and experienced pain in your neck, you have most likely had suffered a whiplash. Whiplash, also commonly referred to as a soft tissue injury, is an injury that involves the joints, muscles and ligaments of the neck and back.

The typical whiplash injury that we see in my chiropractic office is from a rear-end type of an accident. When you get hit from behind, your head is thrown backward which stretches the muscles and ligaments in the front of your neck. The second phase of this type of accident involves your head being thrown forward which can stretch the muscles and ligaments in the back of your neck. In severe cases of whiplash the damage can include the joints, discs and nerve roots.

Symptoms of Whiplash

Most people experience neck pain or stiffness either right after the accident / injury or within the next few days. Other common symptoms of whiplash include:
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Neck stiffness
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Muscle spasms
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Headaches
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Difficulty with swallowing and hoarseness
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Abnormal sensations such as burning numbness or tingling
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Pain between the shoulders
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Back pain

 

Your’s In Good Health


Dr. Jones

(619) 280-0554
www.JonesPainRelief.com

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Origins of Low Back Pain

Monday, January 5th, 2009

How did I hurt my back doc?

I was asked this question by a new patient the other day. The funny thing about this question was that he was a new patient for me but he had been going to different chiropractors for nearly 40 years. Neck pain, back pain and headaches that occurred after various falls, work injuries and car accidents were what created his need for a life time of chiropractic treatment.

Certain types of injuries can cause chronic symptoms. Various physical issues that never fully return to their pre-accident state cause chronic symptoms.

For instance, whiplash type injuries leave about 25% of the patients with chronic ongoing neck pain. In these cases, the muscles that move and support the neck have been stretched and sometimes torn. When muscles tear they heal with scar tissue. Scar tissue does not move, stretch or contract like healthy muscle tissue.

Because of the different properties of scar tissue that has formed within the healthy muscle, the joint that is moved by that muscle becomes dysfunctional. As the joints movement alters, it has the potential to become irritated and inflamed. These irritated and inflamed joints then become painful, restricted in their movements and the muscles that move that joint tighten and spasm as a protective mechanism.

Chiropractic care is the perfect solution for painful joints and spasmed muscles. Through manipulation or adjustments of the affected joints, the muscle spasms are calmed and the pain is relieved. For some patients, ongoing chiropractic care helps prevent the onset of pain and stiffness that is associated with chronic injuries.

This example above is just one of the reasons that some chiropractic patients come in for treatment on a regular basis.

As for the patient above, he said he has been coming in for chiropractic for neck pain and back pain for years. He receives treatment for both health maintenance reasons as well as for control of specific symptoms that come up from time to time.

Your’s In Good Health


Dr. Jones

http://www.jonespainrelief.com/blog1/

www.JonesPainRelief.com

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Chiropractic Treatment for Headaches

Thursday, December 18th, 2008

I don’t know about you, but I am a headache wimp. I hardly ever get headaches, when I do I don’t handle them very well. I get moody and I tend to “snap” at people that really mean me no harm.

In addition to my San Diego chiropractic office treating patients with neck pain and low back pain, we see many people with headaches. Headaches have many causes and there are many different types of headaches as well.

The most common types of headache that we provide treatment for are migraine and muscle tension headaches.

Muscle tension headaches typically begin in the muscles of the neck and upper back. When these muscle become tense, they pull on the muscles that cover your head. This tension results in a headache.

Muscle tension headaches can result from postural stresses such as long hours of computer work, they can develop as a result of whiplash type car accident injuries, pinched nerves or just plain old work and home stresses.

One common reason for chronic, on going tension in the muscle is miss-aligned vertebra. When the vertebra become miss-aligned due to postural stress, awkward sleeping positions, accidents, etc., the muscles around that vertebra tighten up as a protective mechanism. The tight muscles are commonly the root cause of the muscle tension headache.

Chiropractic care re-aligns the joints of the spine causing a relaxation of the surrounding muscles. When the joints in the neck are re-aligned, the muscles that move and support that particular vertebra relax and return to their normal functions.

When the muscles are relaxed, the muscle tension subsides and the headache goes away. Treatment for muscle tension headaches usually requires a series of treatments but you should notice a decrease in the frequency and the severity of your headache with subsequent treatment.

Your’s In Good Health


Dr. Jones

Pain Relief Blog

www.JonesPainRelief.com

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Arthritis and Back Pain

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

Arthritis is a scary word to most people. It is also a condition that most of think we will never be afflicted with.

In my San Diego Chiropractic clinic, I see people every day who suffer from the effects of arthritis. Besides the fact that arthritis slows you down and limits your physical abilities, it also causes pain. Neck pain, back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain and even headaches (secondary to the neck pain) are common complaints from people with arthritis.

Most of the patients that we provide chiropractic treatment for are suffering from a type of arthritis know as osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative joint disease, degenerative arthritis and wear & tear arthritis. The term osteoarthritis describes a type of arthritis that occurs because of a wearing down of the joint. Other types of arthritis such as rheumatoid are due to a more aggressive auto immune response that destroys the joints much faster than osteoarthritis.

In some cases, osteoarthritis is the result of some injury to the joint that resulted in unnatural or awkward movements of that joint. In the medical community we refer to these abnormal movements as “biomechanical abnormalities” In many cases, a joint has to be exposed to biomechanical abnormalities for years before the joint becomes laden with arthritis.

In my chiropractic office, we treat many patients for automobile accidents. I always tell these patients that while I am not trying to minimize the pain that they are currently suffering from, the most important aspect of their entire treatment program is to help restore normal biomechanics of the spine. This is because eliminating the pain associated with car accident injuries is important but the initial pain that comes with a car accident is only a fraction of the long-term discomfort that comes with biomechanical abnormalities (arthritis).

Of course I am referring to a process that involves whiplash of a joint leading to scar tissue formation causing abnormal biomechanics that results in arthritic joints.

We do provide effective treatment for the PAIN of arthritis but there is no treatment that CURES it.

The bottom line is this: If you have neck pain or back pain now, get treatment for it before it becomes an incurable disorder like arthritis.

Your’s In Good Health


Dr. Jones

http://www.jonespainrelief.com/blog1/

www.JonesPainRelief.com

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