Buffalo Car Accident Doctors Providing Whiplash Treatment
If you were recently a victim of a head or neck injury and are currently experiencing pain, you may have whiplash. Whiplash occurs from a sudden jerking motion of the head and neck, traditionally seen in car accident victims, falls, or sports injuries. The injury itself is traditionally due to irritation and injury of the soft tissue within the neck. Whiplash can be painful, but thankfully there are treatment options for you. Before getting to treatment options, it’s best to understand the symptoms of whiplash so you can understand whether or not you may be suffering from this form of injury.
Whiplash Symptoms
Whiplash is a painful, but not often a serious injury with proper whiplash treatment. It involves the neck tissues becoming damaged after a sudden jerking movement of the head. There are various symptoms associated with whiplash, but some are more common than others. Three of the most common symptoms of whiplash include neck stiffness, headaches at the base of the skull, and a loss of the range of motion of the neck.
Starting with neck stiffness, this occurs because the muscles become tense. This tenseness can be painful and be generally uncomfortable. Stretching and physical therapy can reduce tension and neck stiffness.
Next, headaches at the base of the skull can also be classified as tension headaches. With all of the tension on your neck muscles, there is likely to be pain that leads to headaches or migraines. Headaches can occur due to pain-sensitive areas being harmed, such as the neck in a whiplash injury.
Lastly, the third common symptom of whiplash is the restriction of motion in the neck. When a neck muscle is injured, you may not be able to move it in the same way as before. Thankfully, because a whiplash injury may not be the worst injury to sustain, it is possible to relieve symptoms with physical therapy during Whiplash Treatment.
Physical Therapy for Whiplash Treatment
Physical therapy is an excellent way to treat and manage pain from a whiplash injury. Physical therapy helps stretch out muscles of tense or injured parts of the body. This is perfect for a whiplash injury because the muscles in the neck become tense upon injury. With physical therapy, you can relieve pain and tension through gentle stretching, exercise, and tissue massage.
During your first appointment, your therapist will identify the extent of your injury and curate an individualized treatment plan just for you, because all people and injuries are different. Next, we’ll look at some of the common exercises that physical therapists may recommend for whiplash treatment.
Common Exercises for Whiplash Treatment
Because whiplash is such a common injury, there are plenty of generalized exercises and stretches specified for building back neck muscle strength.Some of the common exercises for whiplash treatment include chin tucks, head rotation, and side bending.
All of these require stretching of the neck in some way or form. As mentioned above, when you begin physical therapy, your therapist will curate a list of exercises that will ensure a speedy and effective recovery of your whiplash injury.
Get Physical Therapy Today
If you’re interested in receiving physical therapy for Whiplash Treatment but are unsure of where to start, consider contacting the Medical Center of Western New York at Buffalo. Here, our Buffalo physical therapists will make sure you feel fully comfortable and heal from your whiplash injury properly and as quickly as possible.
We take care of each and every patient, and you’ll always feel welcomed with us. If you’re ready to start your journey of healing, call or contact us today to schedule a consultation appointment. Our staff at Medical Center of WNY will make sure you get back to your comfortable life after physical therapy!
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