Whiplash involves tendon or muscle damage in the neck as the result of an injury or accident. While we may think of trauma as needing to be major in order the cause whiplash, the fact is that it can occur in a minor fender bender at just 5 MPH.
When a person is running, or even walking quickly, they are often moving at speeds of 5 MPH or faster. Thus, you don’t have to be in a car to get whiplash. It can happen while working, playing sports, or while taking part in other forms of recreation.
What can you do if you have experienced whiplash to minimize the symptoms? We are going to discuss three practical ways to keep whiplash from getting you down.
Cold – Applying ice to the pain can help to reduce swelling in the days immediately following the injury. Don’t apply the ice for more than 20 minutes at a time and wait a few hours before applying it again. Also, don’t put the ice directly on your skin. Wrapping an ice pack in a paper towel will protect your skin from damage while you treat the inflammation
Heat – After you have iced the injury for two to three days, you can use moist heat. At this point, you have done all that you can for the swelling with ice. The heat will now help the flow of blood to go back to normal.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic – An examination can determine if a misalignment has occurred as a result of the accident or injury. Such misalignments can cause chronic conditions if not corrected. An upper cervical chiropractor is specially trained to diagnose and correct such misalignments.
Ice and heat work well on swelling and blood flow, but even the slightest misalignment can result in future issues if not treated. An upper cervical misalignment can cause the flow of cerebral blood and spinal fluid to be reduced. The result is hindered communication between brain and body.
Dr. Christopher Perkins of Farmington, Michigan has been specially trained as an upper cervical chiropractor. Dr. Perkins welcomes you to seek a consultation, even if your whiplash injury occurred a number of years ago, to see if have experience a misalignment.
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Perkins call 248-780-8864 or just click the button below area
Dr. Perkins grew up in Novi, Michigan and attended Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. He received his Doctorate Magna Cum Laude with a focus on Upper Cervical Chiropractic care. Chris is well known in the community for his public speaking and holds a number of professional certifications. We are proud to say that Dr. Perkins and Perkins Family Wellness has been recognized by Hour Magazine as one of the Top Chiropractors in Metro Detroit for 3 years in row.