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 dysfunctions
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:
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
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.