With the winter season in full swing, the roads are very slippery. Even if they do not look like it, there is the potential for black ice and auto accidents. Just yesterday someone lost control of their pickup on the ice and flew off the 35 overpass here in South Minneapolis. Miraculously, the driver was able to walk away.

It doesn’t take a dramatic accident to cause injuries. Car accidents can lead to multiple types of injuries including whiplash. Whiplash, along with whiplash-associated disorders (WAD), are neck injuries that typically occur during a rear-end collision when your head quickly moves backward and then forward-mimicking the motion of someone cracking a whip and can happen even when the impact is minor.

The quick and violent movement upon impact pushes the muscles and ligaments of the neck out of place and forces them to go past their normal range of motion causing pain, muscle weakness, headaches, dizziness, and stiffness.

Although whiplash injuries typically occur during a rear-end auto accident, whiplash may occur in many other circumstances which can include:

• Slipping, falling or tripping type accidents
• Bicycle, motorcycle, and other all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accidents
• Direct contact blows to the face, neck, head or back (sports injuries)
• Diving into water that is too shallow
• Amusement park rides that hyper-extend the neck or cause the head to snap quickly and violently.

Recovering from Whiplash with Chiropractic Care and Physical Therapy

Whiplash and WAD are very common in the United States with approximately 42 percent of patients experiencing chronic symptoms. The most important thing a person should do it get checked immediately. Conservative treatment early, even before your symptoms become chronic, can minimize treatment time and long term effects. Research has shown that the formation of scar tissue starts within the first three days after an accident. With the formation of scar tissue, inflammation will follow and can hinder the healing process. It is also important to seek the right care to reduce inflammation, scar tissue and pain, and help rebuild strong and healthy muscles, tendons and ligaments within the neck.

Physical therapy and chiropractic modalities go hand in hand. Both use a natural and non-invasive approach to treating your whiplash pain. At Nokomis Chiropractic and Wellness& and Wellness, we incorporate a variety of therapies both in the clinic and for the patient to do at home including stretching techniques, range of motion exercises, neuromuscular re-education and training, massage and electronic stim (EMS). A referral to a physical therapist can also be done if more intensive care is needed.

Multiple studies have shown that whiplash and soft-tissue injury patients utilizing chiropractic care and therapeutic rebab techniques together have a faster and a less painful recovery process resulting in less time missed from work.

Chiropractic care and physical therapy focus on treating the entire body, not just a "quick-fix"-- and Nokomis Chiropractic and Wellnessin South Minneapolis MN is here to help! Call our office today.