Auto Whiplash | yenchirohealth

Auto Whiplash Injury

Even a minor accident can put tremendous forces into the body, causing serious injury. Most people who have been involved in auto accident may not even know they've been hurt, so NEVER assume you are fine because there is little or no damage to the car! The effects of the injury usually take time to manifest into symptoms, and can worsen if not treated promptly. Some doctors give pain killers but it only prolongs the problem and leave permanent damage of your body.

It is important to see how our clinic can help with treatment and adjustment to restore the function of your spine. Dr. Yen emphasizes on the “whole person approach” that will help you to find the origin of disturbance, and our professional team is here to assist you handling insurance paperwork!

If you have the following symptoms after accident, please contact us immediately to do a full examination:

Headache, Dizziness, Head seems heavy.

Chest Pain, Buzzing or ringing in ears, Shortness of breath.

Fatigue, Memory Loss, Tension.

Neck pain/stiff, Back pain, Loss of balance.

Numbness in fingers/toes, Blurred vision, Pins & needles in arms/legs.

Upset stomach, Nausea, Depression.

Jaw problems, Cold sweats, Sleeping problems.

Common Auto Injuries

Car accidents can cause many different injuries, to virtually any part of your body, depending on the circumstances of the crash and the severity of the impact.

Neck Pain

The most common cause of shoulder pain and neck pain is injury to the soft tissues, including the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Such injuries can occur in more mild forms such as whiplash and neck strain, to more serious injuries like cervical dislocation and disc injury. A sudden forced movement of the head causing rebound in the opposite direction and injures the surrounding and supporting tissues of the neck and head. Muscles then react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue. Therefore, you may experience neck stiff and headache if pain extends to shoulder area.

Back Pain

Our back is a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. During a car accident, the impact can cause significant damage where the forces are strong enough to damage soft tissues. The lower back is the most common site of back injuries, including sprains and strains, herniated discs and fractured vertebrae. These injuries can cause long lasting pain and limit your mobility if left untreated.

Spinal Injury

The damage to the spinal cord is caused when displaced bone fragments, disc material, or ligaments bruise or tear into spinal cord tissue, destroying axons, the part of our nerve cells that carry signals up and down the spinal cord between the brain and the rest of the body. Damage to the spinal cord often results in a loss of function or feeling.

Leg / Arm Pain

When you experience a car accident you may feel pain immediately due to injuries to tendons, ligaments and possibly dislocation. The pain may extend to other joints in your body causing symptoms such as swelling, numbness, tingling, fever, fatigue, and insomnia. The whiplash injuries can cause arm, shoulder and leg pain as your body absorbed strong force during the accident. For example: knee instability, which is often compensated for by increased muscle tension in the leg muscles and shortening of the iliotibial tract. If you happen to feel knee pain after a car accident, it is important to consult with the chiropractor as it requires special attention.

Sprains & Strains

A sprain is a stretch and/or tear of a ligament, the fibrous band of connective tissue that joins the end of one bone with another. Ligaments stabilize and support your spine stability and joints. A sprain is caused by direct or indirect trauma that knocks a joint out of position and overstretches. In severe cases, ruptures the supporting ligaments such as ankle sprain.

A strain is an injury of a muscle and/or tendon (fibrous cords of tissue that attach muscles to bone). Muscle strains usually occur as a result of a sudden and severe muscle contraction, such as a whiplash injury to your neck and hamstring muscle in back of thigh. Strains also occur in the lower back as the tendon that attaches the muscle to your vertebra becomes stretched or overloaded, resulting in a partial or complete tear.