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Chiropractic treatments
for whiplash
Introduction to whiplash
Chiropractors are specialists in treating non-surgical spine injuries
and commonly treat whiplash injuries from car accidents. The job of the
chiropractor in helping his or her patients overcome the pain and
disability associated with whiplash is to:
Diagnose the source of the pain from the whiplash injury
Treat the most important dysfunction
Teach the patient to return to a more normal lifestyle
The process of rehabilitation from a whiplash injury requires a
concerted effort between the chiropractor, the patient and any other
professional assisting in the case. The likelihood of success of
recovering from whiplash is enhanced by a continued focus on restoring
normal function with the help of the chiropractor.
After a whiplash injury, chiropractors take a systematic approach to
establishing a diagnosis, including:
Patient history
Chiropractic examination
Working diagnosis
Chiropractic treatment plan
Chiropractors’ evaluation of patient history for a whiplash injury
The chiropractor will review specific information regarding the car
accident, such as:
What was the vector of the crash (i.e., rear-end collision, head on
collision, side impact collision, etc.)?
Was the patient wearing a seatbelt?
Did the patient or the vehicle strike any other objects after the crash?
Was the patient aware of the impending impact?
How was the patient's head positioned at time of impact?
What was the collision speed and damage amount?
The chiropractor will also ask questions about the whiplash injury:
Where is the exact location of the patient’s pain?
What is the quality and character of the patient’s neck pain or back
pain?
What movements, positions or activities either increase or decrease the
patient’s neck pain or back pain?
Finally, the chiropractor will ask about any other symptoms that may be
related to the pain, such as numbness, tingling, weakness, dizziness, or
blurred or double vision.
Chiropractor’s examination of a whiplash injury.
Next, the chiropractor will examine the patient to assess, in the
immediate stage, whether serious whiplash injury is present that may
require hospital and/or surgical referral, and to identify specific
tissues that have been injured.
The chiropractor will conduct a neurological examination which involves
a cranial nerve examination, sensory, motor and reflex examination of
the extremities, and tests for injury in the brain.
Maneuvers will be carried out by the chiropractor that stresses certain
tissues to see if they have been injured by the whiplash.
The chiropractor will perform motion palpation, designed to assess the
mobility and pain reactions in the joints of the spine.
The muscles of the spine will be examined by the chiropractor for areas
of
congestion called myofascial trigger points, which are common sources of
pain after whiplash.
Chiropractor’s working diagnosis of a whiplash injury
From the history and examination, the chiropractor will establish as a
"working diagnosis" — a clinical impression of the most salient features
of the whiplash injury.
Based on this diagnosis of the whiplash injury, the chiropractor will
then determine whether any additional tests (such as x-rays, MRI, EMG or
blood tests) are required. The chiropractor will obtain reports from any
tests that were done through the emergency room or at previous
consultations with spine specialists to avoid unnecessary duplicate
testing at the chiropractic clinic.
Once all the necessary information has been gathered, the chiropractor
will make a determination as to the best course of action required to
bring about maximum recovery from the whiplash injury in the shortest
time possible. This may mean referral by the chiropractor to another
spine specialist or a chiropractic treatment plan.
Source: spinehealth.com - website:
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/conserv/c_whip/c_whip01.html
WHIPLASH INJURIES
The primary injury is to the soft tissues.
The initial injury causes an increased mobility of the injured joints
(increased flexibility).
Many injuries can result in chronic symptoms.
With time, symptoms may become chronic because of clinical instability.
The most common site of injury is at the lower part of the neck.
Source: MM Panjabi, K Nibu, J Cholewicki. (1998-06-01). "Whiplash
injuries and
the potential for mechanical instability." Eur Spine J. 7(6):484-92.
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