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You’ve just been in a car accident and you’re not sure if you should google “injury and accident chiropractor clinic Houston.” Your only injury it seems so far is whiplash, and that’s no big deal, right?
Wrong – while whiplash injuries are highly common car accident injuries, they can actually cause several more serious issues. Don’t leave your whiplash untreated; see a doctor right away after any car accident.
What Is Whiplash?
Whiplash is a soft-tissue injury. It’s caused by the rapid, violent motion of the head, backward or forwards. This sudden forceful movement can hurt your tendons, ligaments, and surrounding tissues, including your spine and neck.
How Often Does Whiplash Occur?
Whiplash is the most common injury sustained after a car crash. These injuries occur upon vehicle impact and are typically seen in head-on collisions and rear-end crashes. However, whiplash can be sustained during other activities, too – not just car accidents.
Symptoms of Whiplash
Much like other car accident injuries, symptoms of a whiplash injury may not appear immediately after a collision. Many times, you won’t see symptoms until hours, days, or even weeks after the accident occurred.
This is usually due to shock. When we go through traumatic events like car accidents, our body sends out a large rush of adrenaline into our bloodstream to protect you against pain. This adrenaline can stay in your system for a while, which makes it tough for you to determine what injuries you actually sustained right after the accident happened. This is why it’s imperative to find an injury and accident chiropractor clinic in Houston as soon as possible after a collision.
Common symptoms of whiplash include:
- Neck stiffness and pain
- Fatigue and dizziness
- Tingling or numbness in your arms
- Headaches, commonly starting at the base of the skull
- Tenderness or pain in shoulders, upper back, or arms
- Loss of range of motion in the neck
- Pain or worsening pain with neck movement
- Blurred vision
- Ear ringing (tinnitus)
- Depression and irritability
- Difficulty focusing
- Sleep problems
- Memory issues
What to Do if You Think You Have Whiplash
Most people, with the proper treatment, recover from whiplash fairly quickly – within a few weeks. However, if left untreated, whiplash can grow into a larger issue. Some whiplash injuries turn into chronic pain that can last for months or years.
These chronic injuries are more likely if your initial symptoms included headaches, radiating pain in your arms, and rapid onset of severe neck pain.
How to Treat Whiplash
Whiplash is fairly straightforward to treat if attended to quickly. Most injury & accident chiropractors in Houston recommend patients rest, ice their injury, and use over-the-counter pain medications until their pain subsides.
However, if your injury is severe, your physician may prescribe muscle relaxers, stronger pain medication, and physical therapy to help you through your recovery.
Can I Seek Damages for Whiplash Injuries?
Some may scoff, but whiplash can indeed become a serious, chronic issue that’s quite painful. Hence, it is appropriate to file claims to recover financial losses associated with your whiplash injury.
If you were injured in a car accident, you may file a no-fault claim for damages with your insurance company. Sometimes, the recovery process for whiplash is lengthy, and you rack up medical bills during this time. Filing a claim can help you recover those costs.
If you’re unsure on how to do this, a comprehensive injury & accident chiropractor clinic in Houston can help. At these clinics, you’ll get more than just pain relief and treatment from experienced doctors. You’ll receive assistance in finding a lawyer, working with your insurance company, and filing claims.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of whiplash, go visit an injury & accident chiropractor clinic in Houston today. The sooner you start treatment, the quicker you’ll recover.
About The Author:
Joe Danna is proud to be a part of City Wide Injury & Accident, Houston’s premier auto injury treatment center. City Wide offers pain relief, personalized treatment plans from a variety of exceptional doctors, insurance claim assistance, and help to find a lawyer.
