Is Whiplash Haunting You?
Is Whiplash Haunting You?
Well, it happened again. This past Monday I had a new patient in my San Diego Chiropractic clinic that was complaining of neck pain with radiating pain in his right arm.
This patient had been in a car accident in which he was whiplashed nearly 20 years earlier and he stated that his neck pain began as a result of that accident. Like many of my patients, he never received care for his neck injury because he always thought it would go away even though as the years passed he felt that his episodes of pain were increasing in both frequency and intensity.
This past weekend he woke up with his typical stiff neck but this time it was accompanied by a dull aching pain that radiated down his arm and into his right hand.
Since radiating pain can be caused by anything from muscle spasms to herniated discs I sent him for x-rays so I could see why his arm was achy. As I expected from an old, untreated whiplash injury, this patient had his share of spinal arthritis including a few large bone spurs and thinning discs. These x-ray findings were consistent with his current symptoms and his whiplash history.
Unfortunately for this patient any kind of treatment whether medical, acupuncture or in this case, chiropractic care will only be to help control his symptoms – there will be no “cure” for him. Treatment for whiplash needs to begin within days or weeks of the injury to give the best chances of avoiding this patient’s situation.
Statistics tells us that even with early treatment that approximately 25% of whiplash victims who receive care will develop chronic pain due to their injuries. Some studies show that up to 75% of patients who don’t receive early care or any care at all will likely suffer from ongoing pain related to the long term effects of their injuries.
This patient would be in much better shape had he received treatment for his injuries 20 years ago versus waiting until now, unfortunately his wait and see approach has resulted in chronic pain that will require ongoing attention.
Yours In Good Health
Dr. Steve Jones
(619) 280-0554