Many people suffer from health problems throughout their lives. whiplash, being an injury that occurs very frequently when traffic accidents take place, this being the reason why talking about them is the order of the day.
Index
What is whiplash?
The whiplash are injuries that occur in the cervical area of the spine, that affects the ligaments, muscles and vertebrae of the neck. They occur as a result of a sudden and violent movement of the neck, first backwards and then forwards, thus causing the movement that the neck normally performs to be modified naturally.
In the best of cases, the pain disappears within a few weeks., although in other cases such as herniated discs, the injury can become chronic. As we have mentioned, whiplash injury occurs frequently in traffic accidents, but also when suffering injuries in contact sports such as karate or boxing, or simply for aggression.
Symptoms of whiplash
When talking about the symptoms of whiplash we find that it is a lesion that begins to be noticed at 24 hours after it occurred. The most frequent symptoms are:
- Pain, neck pain and difficulty in movement
- Migraine with dizziness, nausea and even blurred vision.
in addition, In the most severe cases, some symptoms may also occur, such as the following:
- Hearing disorders
- Sleep disorders
- memory and concentration problems
Is it possible to prevent whiplash?
Being caused by an event that occurs suddenly, it is difficult to prevent suffering whiplash completely. Nevertheless, It will always be advisable to stay physically active with exercises that help tone the muscles of the back and neck.
This is because if we are fit and our muscles are, it will be easier for us to return to an optimal condition. What's more, to avoid sudden backward movements during a car accident, it is helpful to adjust the headrest to fit comfortably.
Diagnosis of whiplash
In order to proceed with the diagnosis of whiplash, a series of tests must be carried out, Which are the following:
- X-ray of the cervical area to detect the existence of possible fractures
- Computed tomography or CT to be able to enjoy greater precision when making the observation
- MRI that is responsible for detecting the existence of problems in the nerves or soft tissues.
Treatments for whiplash
The whiplash are cured with a treatment that is based on analgesics with which to relieve pain, as well as with muscle relaxants to cause a muscle contraction to undo. in addition, a special cervical collar is also commonly used that is responsible for immobilizing the neck during the first days.
Two weeks after healing, it is advisable to start rehabilitation through exercises that contribute to strengthening and stretching the muscles., with the aim of re-educating the neck so that it is capable of performing the movements that it was previously able to perform.
In order to achieve the best recovery in the whiplash opts to combine techniques of physiotherapy and osteopathy, that begin with joint and membrane work on the sacrum and coccyx to improve mobility of the pelvis. The thoracic diaphragm is also relaxed for greater mobility of the thorax.. The treatment will have to be complemented with craniosacral work that will seek greater harmony in the mobility of the two ends of the cranial and sacral spine., achieving a more flexible spine and that the cervical area can be corrected in following treatments.
Whiplash injuries
Secondly, it is important to note that the whiplash can be presented in many ways, like neck pain, It is the most severe form of primordial dwarfism., headaches, cognitive changes, lumbar pain, o pain in the upper back and shoulders.
What's more, must always keep in mind that symptoms of whiplash tend to have a late onset, This may take from a few days to even a few months..
Nevertheless, what we can know is that there are different whiplash injuries, how are the following:
- Dolor cervical. It is the single ailment that occurs most frequently in whiplash and who suffer more than 90% of the patients who get them.
- Headaches or headaches. The 80% of people who suffer from whiplash also suffer headaches or headaches, and in most cases are related to muscle injuries.
- Vertigo. When it occurs after whiplash, it is usually due to an injury to the facet joints of the cervical spine., although in some cases it can also be caused by an injury to the brain or brainstem. Vertigo is usually temporary and thanks to chiropractic treatment this problem can be significantly improved..
- Low back pain. Although for many people whiplash are neck injuries, it is common that when these take place the lumbar area also suffers. In fact, in more than half of the rear-end collisions in an accident in which there was an injury, low back pain is present, and in almost 75% of all crashes in traffic accidents that occur with a side impact. This has to do with the fact that for the most part, the lower back suffers great compression during the first two phases of whiplash, although it does not reach the levels of flexion-extension injury that is suffered in the neck and that causes what everyone knows as whiplash.