Whiplash Specialist

What is whiplash?

Whiplash is a common injury that occurs when your neck moves forcefully back and forth. It’s most common after a car accident, but can occur after other types of accidents as well. For example, high-impact sports, physical fights, and abuse can also lead to whiplash injuries.

What causes whiplash?

Your neck is composed of bones, muscles, ligaments, nerves, and other tissues. When your neck is moved forcefully, this intricate structure often is damaged, which produces the symptoms of whiplash.

What are the symptoms of whiplash?

The most common symptom of whiplash is neck pain. However, if you have whiplash, you may also notice:

• Stiffness
• Worsening of pain with movement
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Tingling in the arms
• Tenderness in the upper back and shoulders

The symptoms of whiplash may vary in severity, and they can also fluctuate over time.

How does South Shore Chiropractic treat whiplash?

In many cases, the doctors at South Shore Chiropractic are able to diagnose whiplash based only on your symptoms. In other cases, they may run tests to rule out other possible issues, such as bone spurs in the neck.

After you’ve been diagnosed with whiplash, Dr. Campo or one of his colleagues creates a customized treatment plan to address your condition. This treatment plan may include:

• Massage - Whiplash often leads to stiff muscles in the neck. Massage therapy relaxes these muscles and relieves pain.
• Chiropractic adjustments - Chiropractic adjustments improve communication between nerves and tissues, allowing your body to heal faster and more effectively.
• Traction and flexion-distraction - Both of these treatments remove pressure from the spine to promote healing and alleviate pain.

In some cases, your doctor also may recommend ultrasound therapy and/or electrical muscle stimulation.

Does whiplash always heal?

In some cases, patients with whiplash may heal without any treatment. However, if whiplash is moderate or severe, treatment often is required. If you don’t get the treatment you need, you may continue to experience symptoms months or even years after your injury. For this reason, it’s better to seek treatment at South Shore Chiropractic than to hope your injury heals on its own.