Most of us assume that whiplash looks something like this:
When in reality, it can look as simple as this:
Depending on who’s asked, somewhere between 1-3 million people a year suffer from whiplash. Based on what I’ve seen as a chiropractor for neck pain in Springfield, Illinois, a number closer to 3 million feels the most accurate. The reason the range is so broad may be because so many people don’t realize that they have it. Yes, car accidents are the biggest offender, but there are plenty of other less assuming scenarios that can result in whiplash:
- Horseback riding/Rodeos
- Diving into water
- Rollercoasters, bumper cars, basically anything at Six Flags including eating a funnel cake as fast as possible
- Gymnastics
- Skiing
- Contact sports
- Dancing
Most people think that any impact must have a lot of force behind it to cause damage, but the truth is that it only takes speeds of 5-10 mph, even in a car! That’s basically a love tap.
At the Springfield Wellness Center, we see patients every day who are dealing with neck pain and the discomfort and stiffness of a whiplash injury. Some people think “oh I’ll just wait, it’ll go away eventually. They used whiskey in the old days to numb the pain so how bad could it be?” Clearly the advice of an ill-informed shoulder devil. We need to be listening to our shoulder angels. Waiting out pain is not a good idea, especially in cases of whiplash since chronic issues can develop including spinal cord injuries that lead to paralysis.
Here are 9 extra special secrets for getting rid of whiplash and getting back to real life.
Managing the pain is probably foremost on everyone’s minds. Pain interferes with work, sleep, fun, relationships, it’s basically a barrier to happiness. Regular readers will know that we’re not quick to recommend OTC pain relievers because of the nasty side effects associated with them. If we wanted to be so mistreated by something that was supposed to help us we’d spend Thanksgiving with our families.
1. Change Up the Menu
Inflammation is one of the main sources of pain, so devouring an anti-inflammatory diet or properly supplementing is a great way to manage pain.
- Berries
- Fatty fish
- Broccoli
- Avocados
- Peppers
- Mushrooms
- Grapes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Dark chocolate
- Tomatoes
- Cherries
- Green tea
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Fish oil
- Curcumin
This list has something for everyone, so we will not be accepting the excuse that “nothing tastes good.”
2. Use It Or Lose It
After consulting with a chiropractor, get the head and neck, heck the whole body, moving!
Recovering from a whiplash incident it might seem like the perfect time to finally finish the Queen’s Gambit so there’s something to talk about with the coworkers on Monday, but parking up on the couch or bed will put undue stress on the neck and back that will most likely make the pain more severe.
Don’t take it too fast, there’s no need to do any Beyoncé hairography, but moving the neck through its full range of motion is a great way to begin restoring mobility and strength. Up and down, left and right, side to side, it’s really that simple.
When sitting, be intentional about posture. Avoid the hunched back, forward head posture that puts strain on the neck and stretches out the rear neck muscles. Those muscles have already been through enough.
3. Sleep it Off
Recovering from any injury always feels like a sleep-a-thon and for good reasons, sleep is when the body does its healing. Sleeping with whiplash, though, can make sleep near impossible.
- Use supportive pillows, those that are usually used to stop snoring or even water-filled pillow. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different pillows or pillows in weird locations like between the legs or underneath the small of the back.
- Don’t sleep on the stomach. Whiplash or not, we should never be sleeping on our stomach as it causes too much strain on our neck and lumbar spine.
- It might be time for a new mattress. They say the average lifespan of a mattress is 7 years, but I’d like to know who the “they” is.
- Gently stretching before bed, some relaxing tea, or a combination of ice and heat may reduce swelling, numb the pain, and relax the muscles enough that fall asleep isn’t a problem.
4. DON’T…
…delay treatment
…carry anything heavy like a backpack or purse
…pull on the head
…wear a helmet or other headgear
…attempt an exercise not approved by a chiropractor
…make sudden movements
…drive
…return to work until 100% recovered
…rely on painkillers
…
5. Do an Attitude Check
Unfortunately, it is possible to experience chronic headaches and neck pain for years, especially for those who don’t seek treatment quickly. One study showed that after 20 years, 50% of the patients were still dealing with whiplash symptoms.
With that said, don’t get discouraged! Don’t listen to others who try to put a time limit on pain. Whether or not you’re a believer in The Secret…
…there is scientific evidence that positive thoughts affect outcomes. Coping with passive means, like withdrawing from social activities or feeling self-pity, slows down recovery. Those with positive attitudes take responsibility for their healing and it works. Thoughts influence the energy in our body and our body is the best healing machine out there. It deserves the best energy we can give it.
6. Sit Up Straight!
Moms and nuns have been screaming this at us for decades, but posture is crucial to preventing pain throughout our neck and back and it’s one of the first things to be sacrificed when trying to cope with whiplash.
Many people will try to return to normal activities before their body has had time to properly heal. This causes people to compensate for the pain with poor posture, which only exasperates the problem.
Hunching the upper back or jutting the head forward to avoid whiplash pain will stunt the healing process and become learned bad habits that contribute to long-term problems that develop into chronic neck pain.
7. Think Outside the Box
It’s not often considered therapy for whiplash, but with the goal of reducing pain and inflammation, it seems like acupuncture would be a no-brainer.
This ancient Chinese treatment uses needles to activate special energy points in the body to stimulate healing. Most of the success of using acupuncture for whiplash is anecdotal, but since acupuncture carries virtually no side effects it might be worth trying.
8. Listen to Your Feelings
Most of these secrets deal with the body, but we can’t forget the mind. It’s possible to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, after an accident or injury.
About 14% of people in car accidents develop PTSD, especially if the accident resulted in someone’s death or was life-threatening. Don’t be ashamed to get help from a qualified therapist who can address any anxiety issues around driving or even being in a car.
Emotional stress lowers our immunity and makes it harder for us to physically heal, and though psychological stress can’t be quantified the way physical stress can, it’s just as debilitating.
9. Call the Springfield Wellness Center
Saving the best for last.
There is no one more qualified to help with whiplash than a chiropractor. Chiropractic care is a non-surgical, non-invasive, all-natural option. The pain that accompanies whiplash is from subluxations in the cervical spine, this means that the bones in the neck are not properly aligned and are putting pressure on the surrounding nerves and tissue, compromising function.
A chiropractor is trained in correcting subluxations. In a recent study, 93% of patients saw improvement through chiropractic care for whiplash.
Is it though?
At the Springfield Wellness Center, we supplement chiropractic care with:
- Massage Therapy – to relax overworked muscles from structural imbalances
- Custom Exercise Plan – with exercises and stretches to strengthen the muscles that support the spine
- Cervical Spinal Decompression – to relieve pressure on the spinal discs and nerves
- Deep Tissue Laser – to accelerate the healing process
We can address the health of the entire spine, it is one unit after all, to eliminate pain and keep the body functioning properly. The proper spinal structure actually helps prevent injury and illness in the first place. So call us! Ask us any and all questions, we’ve heard it all before. Or schedule an appointment with one of our amazing doctors. Whiplash can often occur suddenly. Neck pain relief is a focused, personalized, intentional process that requires time and care, and we’ve got both.
