Chiropractic care is well known for its success treating low back pain and neck pain. Neck pain can originate from a number of different tissues including muscle, bone, joints, and ligaments. Traumatic injuries such as whiplash, falls, and contact injuries can cause muscle spasms and strains, ligament and joint sprains, and myofascitis. These injuries cause splinting and stiffening of the major neck muscles and cause pain with even the slightest movements and a loss in range of motion. For instance, in a rear end car accident, the head and neck are thrusted into extension rapidly followed by a swift recoil into flexion. When the head goes back into extension the muscle on the front and sides of the neck are over stretched and the joints in the back of the neck, the facets, are compressed. This causes muscle tearing in the front and sides and joint compaction in the joints in the rear. This results in muscle strains and reflexive spasms in the front of the neck and joint pain in the back. When the head recoils forward into flexion the muscles in the rear are stretched and the joints in the front of the neck, the discs, are compressed. This fast, sudden movement can tear muscles and ligaments in the neck depending on the force of the impact and can cause fractures, disc bulges, disc herniations, and dislocations if the force is great enough. When the body detects such a movement in the neck it automatically tightens the muscles of the neck in order to stabilize the cervical spine in order to protect the spinal cord. These muscle spasms can last for months after an accident if it goes untreated and can remain very painful for even longer.
Chiropractors assess whiplash injuries using neurological tests, orthopedic tests, range of motion assessment, palpation, and x-rays to identify the cause of the pain and to determine the stability of the cervical spine. X-rays will rule out fractures, dislocations, and malpositions but an MRI is required to diagnosis muscle and ligament tears, disc bulges, disc herniations, and cord injuries. Chiropractors use electric muscle stimulation to relax the tight muscles of the neck and to reduce pain. They use trigger point therapy, myofascial release, and myotherapy to treat muscle spasms and strains and gentle chiropractic adjustments to realign the bones in the spine and remove fixations. At home, specific stretches and icing procedures will help alleviate pain, reduce inflammation and swelling, and increase range of motion. Chiropractors are specially trained to treat whiplash injuries and provide lasting results without the use of pain medications or surgeries.
Dr Collin Dolan of Dolan Family Chiropractic is considered one of the top chiropractors in the city of Aurora, IL in treating head and neck injuries resulting from whiplash type injuries. He works with some of the top orthopedic doctors in the area in co-managing whiplash patients and is well known for his expertise in the fields of chiropractic and pain management. To learn more visit www.Dolanchiro.com or call to speak to the doctor at 630-236-3090.
