Whiplash Treatment

Whiplash is an injury of the neck that occurs when the neck and head move forward and backward in a fast and blunt manner. A traumatic accident, such as a car wreck, is the most common cause of the injury. Whiplash can cause restricted neck movement and pain to your neck muscles. At Suffolk County Chiropractic, our chiropractor in Commack can treat your whiplash and restore the full range of motion in your neck.

What Are The Symptoms

Whiplash is an injury that can be difficult to diagnose. If you were involved in a car accident, symptoms of whiplash may not always be immediately apparent. It could take days for you to feel symptoms, such as dizziness, headaches, neck pain, and blurred vision.  If you believe you are suffering from whiplash, it is important to seek treatment right away by making an appointment with Suffolk County Chiropractic.

Once an appointment is made, our chiropractor in Commack will examine your spine to see if other areas besides your neck are also being affected. Should other areas of inflammation or restriction be located, a technique called motion palpation may be used. Motion palpation is a diagnostic strategy that uses touch to feel for tender and tight joints.  

After the evaluation, the first stage of treating whiplash is to reduce any inflammation in your neck or back. Common therapy techniques that reduce inflammation include ultrasound, manual therapy, and muscle energy therapy. When pain and inflammation start to decrease, our chiropractor in Commack will perform spinal manipulation to improve your range of motion in your neck’s spinal joints.

Different Types of Spinal Manipulation

Spinal manipulation is the most common treatment for whiplash. Specific types of manipulation are used depending on the severity of the injury. Common manipulation techniques include:

• Flexion-distraction technique: This is a hands-on approach that is used to treat whiplash patients with a bulging disc. Our chiropractor in Commack will focus on the spinal disc rather than direct action on the spine.
• Instrument-assisted manipulation: This is typically practiced on patients who have a degenerative joint syndrome. Our chiropractor will use a special instrument to apply force without thrusting into the patient’s spine.
• Specific spinal manipulation: We will locate subluxations that are reducing your range of motion. Then we will use thrusting to stretch tissues, stimulating the nervous system and providing normal motion back to the spine.

If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of whiplash, please contact us today to see how we can reduce your pain.