Whiplash is one of the most common injuries sustained after a car accident. Whiplash is highly likely whenever we’re confined in a moving vehicle that suddenly experiences a jarring motion or a collision that can cause your head to move suddenly back and forth. Whiplash can lead to lasting discomfort or pain if not properly treated.
Learn more about how physical therapy can be a beneficial treatment option for those who have experienced a recent car accident and are seeking to recover.
Whiplash can occur when there is a sudden collision or force that would cause your head to jerk violently in any direction. This violent jerk causes your neck tendons and muscles to become strained from the rapid and unusual range of motion. One of the scary things about whiplash is that the symptoms often aren’t immediate.
Many people who experience a car accident injury will say that they’re fine or that they don’t really feel any discomfort. After a few hours or even days, the effects begin to rise to the surface and the pain or discomfort can slowly set in.
Whiplash can occur from several different actions from a car accident. The sudden momentum changes within the vehicle as it gets hit from another object or vehicle, colliding with an object inside the vehicle that was jarred loose during the commotion, or any other event that may cause your neck to be placed under increased stress.
Whiplash can occur from car accidents, but other common injuries that may cause whiplash include contact sports, falls, and more.
Whiplash can present itself in many different ways, often due to the nature of the event that can cause the injury. Some of the most common symptoms of whiplash include but are not limited to:
We only get one brain, which is why it’s important to make sure that you’re properly evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional even if you think you’re fine or it was a minor accident. Many of the symptoms can take a while to set in, and it’s better to understand what you might be dealing with and ensure you get on the pathway to feeling better, faster.
One important aspect of feeling better after a recent car accident is to start getting treated for the bumps, bruises, and any other injuries you’ve experienced as a result. Whiplash is one of the many common injuries that physical therapy can assist with and it can be an effective treatment option for helping individuals alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, restore mobility and improve range of motion.
Physical therapy can help to provide guidance on effective pain management and relief methods with manual therapy techniques like a gentle massage or the use of modalities like heat and ice. Physical therapy can also help to teach effective exercises to strengthen muscles to rebuild muscles around the neck and shoulders to provide better support to your head.
Physical therapists will also work with you to restore mobility that was lost due to the injury or discomfort, and teach you functional activities you can do to return to normal activities.
It’s important to begin physical therapy as soon as possible after a whiplash injury. Early intervention and care for a whiplash injury can significantly improve clinical outcomes and ensure that an acute injury does not turn into a chronic injury with long-term pain.
The length of physical therapy for a whiplash injury often depends on a variety of factors. You will work closely with your physical therapist at one of our locations to come up with a treatment plan that is personalized to you and your unique needs and goals.
While every whiplash injury is unique and there are many factors that go into a successful outcome, physical therapy is an effective treatment option to help many individuals regain normal function and alleviate pain.
Physical therapy is an effective treatment option for whiplash after a car accident. Our physical therapists will work with you to create a personalized treatment plan that addresses your unique needs and goals. It’s important to get treated for whiplash as soon as possible to ensure that you can find effective pain relief and get on the pathway to feeling better, faster.
Request an appointment at a PT clinic near you to see how physical therapy can help you find pain relief from whiplash after a car accident.
