Written by Dr. James Mayne, DC ~ Vernon Chiropractor

Whiplash occurs when the muscles, ligaments, and tendons of the neck and upper back are damaged from a sudden impact that whips the head forward and then backward, or from side to side.  The curve and alignment of the neck may be altered, causing pain and decreased neck movement.  This type of injury can have many causes, from sports impacts to slips on icy surfaces, but by far the most common cause is a motor vehicle accident.  Most people don’t realize that even low-speed, low-impact collisions can cause serious, long-term whiplash injuries.  In the health presentations I’ve offered my patients, I notice in the audiences with a show of hands that at least 60-70% of people have been in a car accident.  My experience shows that impacts as slow as 5 mph are enough to cause damage to the small joints in the neck, especially if the head is turned while the impact happens.

The most common symptoms for whiplash injuries are pain in the neck and upper back region.  A headache can often be the main complaint, interfering with a person’s ability to work or go about their daily activities.  Sometimes, when the damage irritates the delicate nerve roots of the spine, a person can experience pain, tingling, or weakness radiating into the shoulders, arms, and hands.  It is important to keep in mind that sometimes these symptoms take days or even weeks to be experienced.

The focus of chiropractic care for whiplash involves realigning the forward curve in the neck, re-establishing the normal position of the vertebrae, muscles, and ligaments of the spine.  This allows the tissues to heal with proper alignment of the neck—the goal being to restore full range of motion and to prevent any permanent damage from occurring.  If whiplash damage is left uncorrected, it is possible that the natural curve of the neck can be lost, leading to wear-and-tear of the neck joints.  Over time, this causes the disks in the neck to break down, and osteoarthritis is the result.

If you have experienced a whiplash accident in Vernon or suffer from any of the above symptoms, you would benefit from seeing a chiropractor for a neck and spine evaluation.