Whiplash Symptoms & How to Naturally Treat Them

 

The neck holds the head and provides a significant range of motion for many activities, offering most of us a lot of support both while at rest and at play. This intricate structure comprises numerous soft tissues as well as the cervical spine, the portion of the spine located in the neck.

 

When the neck’s tissues and spine are suddenly and violently thrust forward and back, the structure may become compromised, causing whiplash. The good news is that whiplash can be responsibly treated through chiropractic care and other natural at-home remedies.

This post goes over:

• The causes of whiplash
• Symptoms of whiplash
• Natural solutions to treat whiplash
• How chiropractic care can end whiplash
• And more

If you’ve experienced neck trauma and believe you have whiplash, read on to learn your next steps.

 

Do I Have Whiplash?

Most of us align whiplash with a rear-ended vehicle accident; however, you can get the condition in several other ways.

Common causes of whiplash include:

• Auto accidents
• The forceful pulling of one or both arms
• A slip-and-fall accident
• A blow to the chin
• Playing full-contact sports
• Boxing or a physical altercation

because these reasons are typically related to accidents, therefore sudden and uncontrollable, anyone of any age and lifestyle can find themselves with whiplash.

The best way to determine whether you have the condition is to visit an experienced local chiropractor for a full-body assessment. Doing so will give you peace of mind, knowing why you have your symptoms and telling you how you can find relief.

Common symptoms of whiplash include:

• Neck pain, stiffness, and achiness
• Tenderness when touching
• Pain that radiates from the neck into the shoulders and back
• Shoulder pain
• Dizziness and blurred vision
• Lower back pain
• Fatigue and inability to sleep comfortably
• Numbness in the arm and hand
• Mental stress, anxiety, and irritability

You may experience any or all of these whiplash symptoms, but with chiropractic, you can see an immediate reduction in severity and frequency.

Natural At-Home Solutions to Treat Whiplash

Sometimes getting to a healthcare provider is difficult and you want safe, non-medicated relief at home, now. Below are some chiropractor-approved tips to help reduce your whiplash discomfort that can even contribute to healing.

Ways to safely and naturally minimize whiplash pain at home include:

• Apply ice to the neck and surrounding areas immediately after the accident to help with pain control
• After the swelling has subsided, apply heat to the neck, shoulders, and upper back to promote calmness and soothing as pressure and tension are removed
• Allow the neck to rest by using a neck brace, U-pillow, or other forms of support; this will relieve the constant pressures placed upon it
• Gently stretch and massage the neck to encourage healthy circulation and relaxation as the neck tissues are kept active, nurturing activity within the surrounding muscle groups and spine; this reduces sedentary behavior, which can cause more damage to an already vulnerable area

 

These tips can reduce your symptoms and help restore function; however, working with a chiropractor to end your whiplash pain at the source is the best way to get lasting results that treat the injury holistically.