How To Treat Whiplash Injuries
With whiplash injuries, there are various treatment modalities depending on the location of the injury and the symptoms present. With a positive attitude, dedication, and perseverance, the results of treatment will be maximized.
It is very common that whiplash victims don't experience the pain right away. It may take a few days to a few weeks for the discomfort to show itself. This may be from the adrenaline rush whereby one doesn't feel pain.
If you were sent to the ER post-accident, the workup will be to make sure it's not something serious, like a neurologic problem or a fracture. Once those are ruled out, the usual diagnosis ends up being a neck sprain or strain. This can mean a bunch of different things.
Acutely, treatment should consist of some common things such as:
1) Ice, not heat - the objective is to decrease inflammation, and ice may constrict blood vessels and limit the swelling and inflammation. Also pain may be lessened too.
Pain meds - May be extremely effective in the acute setting for pain management. It is not recommended for chronic intake.
Muscle relaxants - these meds include Soma, Flexeril, Valium, etc and act to counter muscle spasms.
NSAIDs - over the counter anti-inflammation meds like naproxen, ibuprofen may help alleviate pain from whiplash.
Additional medications that may be considered include neuropathic medications like Lyrica or Neurontin, sleep aids like Ambien or Restoril, and anti-depressant medications such as Paxil or Prozac.
Sixty percent of chronic whiplash pain has been shown to be coming from the facet joint capsule. Arizona Pain Doctors have had good results utilizing cervical epidural steroid injections (ESI), trigger point injections, and radifrequency ablation (RFA). RFA gives much longer pain relief typically than an ESI. The medial branches, which are the small nerve endings providing sensation to the facet joint capsule (and thereby pain), usually regenerate within a year, so individuals could achieve 6-15 months of pain relief.
Whiplash injuries respond typically best to an active and comprehensive therapeutic intervention. An approach of "wait and see" may result in a missed window of opportunity for alleviating pain early on. 1/2 of Phoenix auto accident treatment victims end up having chronic pain with 10% of individuals becoming disabled. That adds up to over 250,000 new disabilities each year in the US.
Phoenix physical therapy may be dramatically beneficial to whiplash patients. Ice, heat, traction, ultrasound, deep tissue massage, active and passive range of motion may allow patients to quickly become more mobile and active.
Chiropractic doctors are the largest group of doctors treating whiplash problems. Chiropractors treat thirty six percent of all victims of whiplash. The other sixty four percent are taken care of by acupuncturists or general doctors such as family practice or interenists. A study in the UK looking at chiropractic treatment for whiplash injuries displayed over 90% effectiveness for relieving whiplash pain.
Numerous research studies have looked specifically at neck manipulations for whiplash and acute pain and found adjustments to be efficacious.
Evidence on treatment for Mechanical Neck Disorders, of which Whiplash is classified, includes:
Strong evidence = Stretching/Strengthening along with Spinal manipulation
Moderate Evidence = Stretching/Strengthening, IV steroids for whiplash, and epidural injections. Low level laser therapy, electrotherapy (TENS), Intermittent traction (like spinal decompression), and acupuncture.
Limited evidence = Orthopaedic pillows, Chinese massage, trigger point injections, and magnetic stimulation.