Drug-Free Chiropractic Care Relieves Neck and Shoulder Pain after a Car Accident

Whiplash injuries are one of the most common car accident injuries that can occur at speeds as slow as 5 mph. All it takes is a minor fender bender to knock your cervical spine out of alignment, resulting in damage to the soft tissues, including the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Our Herndon chiropractor is trained in the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries after car accidents, including whiplash injuries. Chiropractic care is a conservative, non-surgical, drug-free treatment for managing neck and shoulder pain due to a whiplash injury.

Chiropractic Treatment for Whiplash Pain

Whiplash is a traumatic injury affecting the musculoskeletal system, specifically the cervical spine. The abrupt force of a rear-end accident can “whip” the cervical spine out of alignment, damaging the discs and compressing nearby nerves and muscles. As a result, you may experience pain in the shoulders, neck, and headaches at the base of the skull. Your muscles may feel hard or knotted, and it can be especially painful to turn the head from side to side or even look up or down. You may have difficulty sleeping at night or find it difficult to concentrate on simple tasks during the day. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, contact our Herndon chiropractor for a diagnostic exam. If you have suffered a whiplash injury, chiropractic care can help alleviate these symptoms by treating the root cause for your pain.

A diagnostic exam is the first step for determining if your neck pain is caused by a whiplash injury. The diagnostic exam will focus specifically on any musculoskeletal injuries you may have sustained during the car accident, including damage to the cervical spine. Once our chiropractor has assessed the full extent of your injuries, the next step is to create a custom treatment plan to relieve your pain and help your body safely heal. Chiropractic adjustments are a gentle, safe and effective treatment technique that brings correct alignment back to the cervical spine. Adjustments alleviate nerve and muscle compression, reducing pain and bringing a fuller range of mobility back to the neck. Our chiropractor may also teach you corrective exercises to practice in the comfort of your home. These gentle stretching exercises can safely increase the range of movement in your neck as the soft tissues heal.

Neck pain due to whiplash will not simply “go away” on its own. For this reason, it is important to schedule a diagnostic exam with our Herndon chiropractor even if you receive treatment at an emergency room. Emergency care focuses on immediate pain relief though medication and treating visible injuries, like a broken bone. Chiropractic care is different. Our mission is to support your body’s sustained healing process through drug-free pain relief that treats musculoskeletal injuries at the source. Never assume that because you walk away from an accident with only a few bruises that your neck is okay!

Don’t let a car accident become a permanent “pain in your neck”. Take the first step to healing today: call our Herndon chiropractor at 703-904-9666.