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Whiplash

 

Treatment for Whiplash

Whiplash Treatment
 
 

Are you suffering from Whiplash injuries in the greater Sacramento or Sierra Nevada areas?

We would like to help.

Common Symptoms of Whiplash

Whiplash is frequently caused by car accidents, but can also be caused by falls, or other trauma to the head and upper torso. Other injuries that often accompany whiplash from a car accident include neck and back pain, headaches, dizziness, and blurred vision. The severity and type of whiplash can depend on the speed of each vehicle and angle of collision among other factors. It’s common for symptoms to arise days after an accident that weren’t present immediately upon impact.

Common Symptoms of Whiplash itself include:

  • Neck pain and stiffness.

  • Worsening of pain with neck movement.

  • Loss of range of motion in the neck.

  • Headaches, most often starting at the base of the skull.

  • Tenderness or pain in the shoulder, upper back or arms.

  • Tingling or numbness in the arms

  • Fatigue

  • Dizziness

The Biomechanics of Whiplash As a Soft Tissue Injury

If you have been injured in a motor vehicle collision and felt the effects of whiplash or soft tissue injury, you’ll likely need to seek immediate medical care. If the accident has just occurred, call 9-1-1.

Whiplash can also be considered a soft tissue injury. Thus, many in the medical community and the insurance industry will refer to whiplash as a soft tissue injury. “Whiplash” is actually a term referring to an injury sustained from a rapid change in direction that leads to your body absorbing the force of impact. Soft tissue injuries that can result from these absorbed forces can occur in (but are not limited to) three different but common forms.

The first is a sprain. A sprain is the result of a ligament that has been abnormally stretched or torn. Ligaments connect bones.When a motor vehicle collision occurs the rapid change in direction can stretch ligaments past their normal physiologic limits injuring the tissue.

The second is a strain. A strain typically injures the muscles and tendons. The mechanism (how it happens) is the same principle described above for sprains but in this situation, the tissues being abnormally lengthened past the point of safety are muscles and tendons. Muscles are considered contractile tissues which means they shorten and lengthen in the right amounts to allow us to move. Muscles attach to bones by tendons. Either the muscle itself or the tendon can experience injury from whiplash. 

The third is a contusion. A contusion is another name for a bruise. Severe forces or blows to the soft tissues of the body can result in damage to blood vessels (vascular tissues) that result in blood collecting under the skin and producing the skin discoloration associated with bruising. 

It is common to see all three types of injuries after a motor vehicle collision. Rehabilitative care after an injury such as whiplash can be beneficial for:

  • Reducing pain

  • Expediting recovery 

  • Improving range of motion

  • Reducing post traumatic fear of movement

Treatment

Our providers have successfully treated and resolved hundreds of complicated whiplash injuries. A guiding principle when seeking treatment for any musculoskeletal injury or condition is finding a provider that is both licensed to diagnose and takes the time with you to perform all of the relevant orthopedic tests and functional movement tests to render an accurate diagnosis. A new patient exam at Radius lasts about 40-50 minutes specifically for the purpose of arriving at an accurate diagnosis. The diagnosis and testing results will dictate which clinical protocols to employ in order to deliver the most effective treatment possible. Popular care options include: Chiropractic Treatment, Massage Therapy, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, Targeted Exercises and Stretches, and even Surgery in some cases.

Insurance Coverage and Options

Auto Insurance Coverage:

Your or the other driver’s auto insurance may have coverage for medical claims. To find out if you have Medical Pay coverage, you can call your auto insurance company directly. Radius also performs complimentary insurance coverage checks. If you call Radius, simply let us know that’s what you’re looking for and be sure to have ready your (or the other driver’s) Policy #, Insurance Carrier (i.e. Geico, State Farm, Progressive, etc), and claim # (if you have one yet).

Working with a Personal Injury Attorney:

Whether your personal injury attorney is located in Roseville, Grass Valley, Nevada City, Auburn, or Sacramento, you’ll likely encounter different fee agreements, or ways the attorney will receive compensation for their work on your case. The most common format to hire a personal injury attorney, is to simply pay their hourly rate (which varies by attorney) at time of service. Sometimes personal finances don’t permit that option, though, which is why other formats exist. A second format, is for the attorney to take a percentage of the settlement as compensation for their work, as opposed to a fixed dollar amount. In this case, payment is deferred until after the case is settled. Another format, is for the attorney to take your case “on lien.” This usually means that you won’t be paying their hourly rate up front, but agree to pay their fees (either fixed dollar amount, or percentage) out of the final settlement.

Feel free to call our clinic with any questions we haven’t covered on this page - here to help!