Most of us all love summer and vacations at the lake or ocean. We all relish the great memories we created as children. Unfortunately, many of us try to recapture our youth without hesitation with spontaneous water fights, being first to show off how well we “used” to water ski, or even go and jump the waves. We cheer with delight, but if we had not been taking care of our spines, we might suffer an injury such as a whiplash.
How Does A Whiplash Injury Occur?
A whiplash injury refers to a group of injuries that occur as a result of the sudden, violent whipping motion of the head. The whip can happen in any direction – back-forward, forward-back, side-side, or anything in between.
Various injuries can result, including damage to the supporting muscles, ligaments and other connective tissues in the neck and upper back. A host of related symptoms can then begin, many of which, to the untrained eye, can appear completely unconnected to the original trauma.
It should be remembered that the effects of whiplash may take weeks or months to fully manifest. Thus it cannot be assumed that no problems exist just because no symptoms are felt immediately following the accident.
These symptoms should always be taken seriously no matter how insignificant they may at first appear due to the areas which are affected. If you are not very careful, a whiplash injury may end up causing permanent damage if left untreated.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Whiplash?
People who experience a whiplash may develop one or more of the following symptoms, usually within the first few days after the injury:
- Stiffness and/or Neck Pain
- Headaches
- Pain in the shoulder or between the shoulder blades
- Low back pain
- Pain or numbness in the arm and/or
- Dizziness
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering
- Irritability, sleep disturbances, fatigue
Summer Time Blues – No More!
Although prevention is the best solution, if you do become over exuberant this summer and suffer what you could categorize as a neck or whiplash injury see a Chiropractor, who is a trained expert in spinal and musculoskeletal conditions. With the use of chiropractic care, they will restore the normal movement and position of the spinal vertebrae. Restorative treatment may include massage therapy, trigger point therapy, exercise rehabilitation and other soft tissue rehabilitation modalities.
For Your Health,
Dr. Joseph Gambardella, Dr. Benjamin Erb and Dr. Gail Behar