Chiropractor Wichita Explains Everything You Should Know about Whiplash
Chiropractor Wichita Explains Everything You Should Know about Whiplash
If you have ever been in a car accident in Wichita before, you have probably heard the term whiplash. Each year, there are more than 2 million cases of whiplash. A whiplash injury occurs when your head is suddenly jerked forward and backwards causing a neck sprain or strain. Not only can a whiplash injury cause tears in the muscles and/or ligaments in the neck but will often cause misalignments in the bones in the neck. The most common misalignments in the neck after a whiplash results in loss of curvature in the neck or the neck will start to curve the opposite direction called a reverse curve. If this is not corrected, it can cause permanent damage by changing the biomechanics of the neck and leads to an acceleration of degeneration in the neck. This is why is critical to have a chiropractor in Wichita examine you immediately after an accident to make sure that it doesn’t develop into something chronic.
3 Things to Help with Whiplash at Home
- Ice- By icing your neck it will help relieve soreness but more importantly it will decrease inflammation and swelling in the joints and soft tissue. You should ice for 20 minutes and then remove the ice for an hour and then repeat as many times as needed throughout the day.
- Stretches- It’s important to start moving your neck through its range of motion after the accident to ensure the quickest recovery and to minimize having permanent loss of range of motion. You should start by turning your head side to side, tilting your head up and down and bending your neck side to side. Try to go as far as you can in all directions without pain. Do 3 sets of 10 in each direction and do this 3 times a day.
- Chin Tucks – Pull your chin straight back as if you were trying to make a double chin and hold for a count of 2 seconds. Do this 3 sets of 10, 3 times a day. Chin tucks will help strengthen the muscles that hold your neck in the correct position and reinforce the good curve in your neck.
Treating whiplash injuries are something that we have had a lot of success with at Optimal Wellness in Wichita. We have protocols in place to not only correct the misalignments the whiplash will cause but to also work with the soft tissue injuries.
3 Ways We Can Help with Whiplash
- Adjustment – We first need to correct the misalignments in your neck so that it will heal correctly and not become chronic down the road.
- Denneroll Orthotic- This is a foam roll designed specifically to help restore the proper curve back in the neck. You simply lay on your back and place the orthotic under your neck for 3-10 minutes each day.
- Soft Tissue Healing – It is critical to deal with the soft tissues immediately after a whiplash to minimize scar tissue and adhesions from forming. We start by doing passive therapies such as ultrasound and electric muscle stimulation to help with the initial stages of healing. Next, we move our patients to more active rehab in our functional training center. We focus on strengthening weak muscles and stretching tight ones in our training center. This adds more support to the spine after an adjustment.
If you or your loved one have been in an auto accident recently or in the past, give us a call at 316-425-1911 to see if it could have caused any long-term effects on your spine.
Monday
9:00am - 1:00pm
3:00pm - 6:00pm
Tuesday
3:00pm - 6:00pm
Wednesday
9:00am - 1:00pm
3:00pm - 6:00pm
Thursday
3:00pm - 6:00pm
Friday
9:00am - 1:00pm
Saturday
Closed
Optimal Wellness
3017 North Cypress Drive Suite B
Wichita, KS 67226
(316) 425-1911