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WHIPLASH
What is whiplash?
Many of our patients who arrive at
the McMullin & Stark, Los Alamitos, CA office with
whiplash have an
injury that is usually associated with an auto accident and results from the
forced flexing the head and neck forward and backward against muscle and
ligament resistance. This results in strain of the muscles and often
sprain injuries to the ligaments followed by neck pain of the posterior
and/or anterior neck muscles aka "whiplash." A whiplash injury can also include pain into the upper
back and shoulders, dizziness, nausea, headaches, pain or tingling into
the arms, energy loss, the head feeling heavy and even blurry vision.
Many of us have
experienced at least a minor whiplash whether it was due to a car
accident or other injuries like during sports, horseback riding or
falls. When our bodies experience an injury to tissue it goes about
repairing the damaged tissue and repairs the muscles and ligaments with
scar tissue that is woven into the previous muscles or ligaments. In
our patients we often see the results on x-rays of past whiplash injuries that
healed improperly or in poor alignment. The body has great ability to
adapt. After a whiplash injury the damaged or torn tissue will heal one way or
another and most times these injuries heal improperly without the proper
care. With a new whiplash injury, our attempt is get the spine to heal in the
proper alignment with normal length and elasticity of the muscles so
there is no permanent damage. In treating old whiplash injuries (longer than a
year and up to 20 years or more) it takes time to allow the muscles and
ligaments that healed shortened or improperly to stretch and adapt to a
new alignment. While this usually takes longer, almost everyone notices
some improvement if not full recovery when the healing powers of the
body are turned on and the body is given time to repair.
Treatment for
whiplash injuries includes one or more of the following: specific
chiropractic spinal adjustments, neuromuscular re-educations, ice, heat,
massage, instruction on stretching/strengthening exercises and home care
recommendations.
Contact :McMullin & Stark
located in Los Alamitos, CA for treatment of your whiplash or your
whiplash related condition or injury.
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