Pain After a Whiplash Injury: What to Do at Home
Experiencing neck pain after a car accident is one of those conditions that affects a large percentage of people at some point in their lives. Due to the way we are anatomically built, the cervical region is particularly vulnerable to whiplash injuries. Injuries to the muscles, tendons, and especially ligaments in the neck region can cause a wide range of symptoms. These injuries can manifest as anything from mild aching pain to complete disability, making them one of the most common reasons people see chiropractors. When you combine neck pain with whiplash headaches, you end up with real potential to disrupt lifestyles. So the question that many people ask after the accident is… what can I do about it at home?
First of all, there are whiplash treatments from a chiropractic standpoint, including manipulation, massage and other soft tissue techniques, ice, heat, and various forms of physiological therapy (such as deep ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation, laser therapies of low level), they all work very well. ! Second, let’s discuss the things you can do on your own to help alleviate the symptoms of whiplash pain. There is a long list of aids that help with whiplash pain that you can manage on your own, some of which include: home traction devices, specialized cervical pillows, rehabilitation exercises, postural retraining, and more. Most importantly, you are managing your part of the whiplash treatment program. Then the only thing you will need is a little motivation that is your part and have the right training, the work of the car accident chiropractor. Many of these home treatment approaches include an appliance or device of some kind, technically called a durable medical supply, or EMR. More specifically they may include:
- cervical traction units They include inflatable collars, sit-over-the-door traction units, back-lying varieties, as well as towel traction. The concept here is that you are stretching the neck vertebra to prevent scar tissue from sticking to the joints, and if done correctly you should feel good! Don’t do it if it doesn’t or reduce the weight until it feels right. Another type of traction is placing a fulcrum (dense foam triangle) behind the neck while lying down, allowing the head to hang over the edge of the bed, thus maintaining proper neck curvature which may be affected later of whiplash.
- cervical pillows they share the common concept of being contoured to fit the neck and head. These pillows allow the neck to remain in a favorable position while you sleep, which promotes faster healing. These are thicker at the edge so the space between the neck and the point of the shoulder is filled in so the head points forward. There are many types of contour pillows including water, foam, inflatable, buckwheat, rice, and other types. A word of caution though, you may not like it at first as it may take 3-4 nights to get used to. But, once you do, you’ll miss your pillow when you can’t travel with it.
- Exercises. Place your hand against your head and push off, allowing your head to “win” as it moves through its full range of motion (forward, backward, sideways, and in rotation). Don’t forget that stretching, other strengthening exercises, and fine motor control exercises are important. Keeping the joints moving while scar tissue heals prevents the genesis of osteoarthritis.
It is important to understand that you have the option to treat and manage your injuries effectively after an accident. If you or a family member has been in a car accident and requires treatment for whiplash pain, make sure the neck therapy portion of treatment includes the self-help approach for best results.
