Marietta, Georgia, reported an average of 96 car crashes per day. If you are the victim and your neck has been injured, this article will help you understand how chiropractic care is beneficial for a whiplash injury.
Top Causes of Auto Accidents in Marietta
- Aggressive driving
- Over Speeding
- Being distracted while driving
- Texting while driving
- Tailgating
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Breaking traffic rules
Whiplash Injury Facts
- Many car accident victims don’t even realize they have got a severe whiplash injury until days or months later when the issue leads to other health problems.
- Whiplash results due to a rear impact while the victim stays in a stationary position.
- Failure to properly treat patients with whiplash or giving inadequate education can lead to chronic psychosocial symptoms; stress, anxiety, and depression.
- Early range of motion leads to a rapid recovery than prolonged use of a cervical collar.
What Are The Symptoms Of Whiplash?
Whiplash occurs when the head and neck muscles are stretched due to a sudden force. The majority of car crashes are rear-ended collisions with neck strain being a common result.
Whiplash injuries are either mild or very severe, resulting in broken bones or tissue damages. You should see the best Marietta chiropractor for whiplash and receive a thorough examination. For more details you can visit marietta-chiropractor.com. Even if the impact is mild, you may still experience any of the following whiplash symptoms:
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Neck pain
- Ringing in the ears
- Difficulty sleeping
- Pain when turning the head
- Sore muscles
- Shoulder and arm pain
- Upper back pain and inability to move the head fully
- Numbness or tingling in the fingers
- Dizziness, nausea, or vertigo
- Tiredness
- Depression
Furthermore, whiplash results can include:
- Injured bones in the spine
- Irritated and damaged nerves
- Subluxations
- Disc bulges and herniation
- Pulled ligaments in the neck
Note: Whiplash can also occur due to trauma, or other kinds of accidents, abuse, and falls.
As you can see, there are many different whiplash symptoms and not all of them are immediately traceable, it is essential to get your spine checked as early as possible.
How Is A Whiplash Diagnosed?
Generally, doctors can diagnose whiplash by a thorough history and physical examination of a patient. Specialized imaging tests help to diagnose whiplash accurately, but depends on the case.
Tests for whiplash may include:
- X-ray–– produce images of organs onto film, internal tissues, and bones.
- MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging)–– detailed images of soft tissue and organs structures in your body.
- CT scan (Computed tomography)––X-rays make horizontal images of your body. Whereas, a CT scan shows a complete picture of your body parts, including your fat, bones, muscles, and organs.
Treatment for whiplash is based on:
- Your age, medical history, and overall health condition
- Your tolerance for specific procedures, therapies, or medicines
- Your opinion or preference
Initial treatment of whiplash may include:
- Ice applications for 24 hours
- Gentle movement after 24 hours
- Cervical (neck) collar
- Physical therapy
- Muscle relaxing medicines
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications ––ibuprofen
- Osteopathic manipulation
Complications:
It depends on the car accident victim how long they will take to recover from whiplash fully. Most people feel better within a week and never face any lasting effects. However, some people take months to recover and continue to have pain years later after the injury occurred.
The following are the risk factors linked to a worse outcome:
- Older age
- Existing low back or neck pain
- Having had whiplash before
- A high-speed injury
Note:
Untreated whiplash can make matters worse. It poses an increased risk for chronic pain, soreness, and difficulty performing routine activities, long after the injury occurs.
Is Soft Tissue Damage The Same As Whiplash? And Why It Needs Immediate Treatment?
Any damage to muscles, ligaments, and tendons is a soft tissue injury. If not treated on time, they can become strained or torn. Therefore, it is vital to be examined right away to stop developing more complications.
What to Do If a Person Gets Soft Tissue Injury in a Car Accident in Marietta GA?
The victim will need to seek out Marietta chiropractor for whiplash after having an auto injury. The chiropractic doctors will give drug-free (non-invasive) care that will:
- Improve range of motion
- Reduce stiffness, pain, and inflammation
- Increase mobility
Furthermore, if you have been injured due to a car crash, you need to take prompt legal action. Keep in mind that Georgia State places a time limit to protect your legal rights, i.e., filing a civil court claim. So, you must move quickly.
Other Injuries from Car Accidents in Marietta
Besides whiplash, many victims of car crashes experience one or more of these injuries/damages:
- Broken bones
- Organ damage
- Brain damage
- Paralysis (complete or partial)
- Loss of arm or leg
- Various other injuries
- Disfigurement
- Death
How to Prevent Whiplash?
It is not always possible to prevent car accidents, even if a person is taking all precautions and following the State traffic rules. However, advances in automobile safety have played a significant role in reducing whiplash injury risk.
Head restraints can prevent your head from moving into hyperextension, but it should be positioned directly behind the head, for this equipment to work properly. Likewise, if it is placed below the head level, you could feel further hyperextension after an impact. Therefore, use these devices properly.
Other additional safety equipment includes air curtains and airbags to protect passengers from injury further.
We hope this article helps you understand more about whiplash injury and why it is essential to get early treatment. If you or any of your family members become the victim of a car crash, we advise you to visit Marietta chiropractor for whiplash treatment.
There are many things that can cause a car accident, and no matter how safe you are behind the wheel it’s impossible to completely prevent them. If you do get in an accident, be sure to reach out for legal assistance as soon as it’s safe to do so. The team at Serious Injury Law Group can help ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.
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