Whiplash

It is very important after a motor vehicle accident (MVA) or a fall to see your doctor or go immediately to the hospital no matter how minor it may seem. Whiplash is the cause of numerous neck and head problems as well as nerve damage and muscle problems.

Whiplash occurs when a whipping force is applied to the body causing the head to snap forward and backward rapidly, and while your accident may not seem bad, your neck may still be injured from a very minor version of this.

When the head snaps back, muscles and ligaments in the front of the neck are under a lot of stress; the muscles that you feel holding your head up and even muscles and ligaments at the front of your spine may easily be torn or stretched. The muscles that are not damaged will go into spasm to keep from being damaged, making them tight and in need of release.

The same happens to the muscles and ligaments in the back of your neck, with a whipping force of the head forward; the muscles and ligaments may be damaged or tight. Even days after the MVA you could find yourself with headaches, neck or back pain and nerve damage.

In serious cases the person can have blindness, GI track symptoms, trouble swallowing, dizziness, memory loss and much more damage from the accident. After seeing your doctor or visiting the ER it is a very important step to see a Registered Massage Therapist. These health care Practitioners are able to lengthen tight muscles and reduce scar tissue formation in the neck and throat area which can not only be painful and cause back posture and nerve damage, but in severe cases can put pressure on the throat.

 Now that you know the mechanics of whiplash you are able to make the decision to see your doctor after an accident and take good care of yourself by seeing a health care professional, be careful out there.