Most common in car accidents, whiplash is the result of one’s neck moving forward and back very quickly, causing over-stretching of ligaments, blood vessels, nerves, muscles and joints. This injury is most often known as Whiplash Associated Disorders, or WAD, and can be caused by a range of issues; including auto accidents, sudden falls or contact sport related injuries, such as football tackling.
An individual who is suffering from whiplash will feel as though they have a stiff or painful neck, sore shoulders, extreme dizziness or double vision and poor sensation in the neck and arms. Though, it is important to note, that the most effective way to recover from such injury is to not limit activity, but to rather continue on with your normal daily regime as attempting to fix the injury on your own by limiting your activity could lead to further stiffness and a longer recovery process.
It is important that if you are suffering from severe whiplash that you seek guidance and medical attention as quickly as possible, as the injury is far more treatable if it is managed from its early stages rather than at a later time. This is because the muscles and joints within the body have a strong natural ability to restore themselves over time but will become less susceptible to such recovery process the longer that an injury suffices.
It is recommended that if you are experiencing the symptoms of whiplash that you seek physiotherapy treatment as it can accelerate the healing process with the introduction of light exercises that can assist the expansion and retraction of muscles to normalise muscle lengths and restore any build ups of tension that were causing pain and discomfort. As well, physiotherapy treatment for whiplash is able to restore the range of motion in joints, resolve any overextension of neural tissue and strengthen all-over mobility and capability within the back, neck and shoulder regions in order to reduce pain and build resistance against further injury.
By taking this course of action, you will be able to recover effectively, however, the timespan by which this will take relies heavily on the original severity of the injury. If you are suffering from the symptoms mentioned above, contact us on 9793 3119 or visit our website https://www.bankstownphysiotherapy.com.au/ to learn about our team and find out more about our treatment options.