Whiplash

Whiplash is defined as any injury to the neck which occurs due to a sudden movement of the head. It can occur in a car accident, sports injury, work injury, etc. Symptoms of whiplash can take years to develop and research shows that 45% of whiplash sufferers still have symptoms two years later. The most common initial symptom of whiplash is neck pain which often starts between two hours and two days following the traumatic incident. This neck pain is due to tight muscles in the neck. These muscles typically tighten to prevent further excessive movement of the head. Other common symptoms of whiplash are: headaches, shoulder pain, blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, nausea and jaw pain.

The Journal of Orthopaedic Medicine found that chronic whiplash patients respond best to chiropractic care. Their study looked at 93 whiplash patients who received 19 chiropractic adjustments over four months duration. The results of the study showed that 74% of the patients improved following chiropractic treatment. These results provide further evidence that “chiropractic is an effective treatment for chronic whiplash symptoms.”

Dr. Max has successfully treated many whiplash patients in his practice and if you or someone you know are suffering from these symptoms, give Dr. Max a call at (773) 880-0880.

Khan S, Cook J, Gargan M, Bannister G. A symptomatic classification of whiplash injury and the implications for treatment. Journal of Orthopaedic Medicine 1999;21(1):22-25.