Car accidents can cause damage to almost any area of your body. However, sustained spinal injury is often the most severe and the most common. The impact of a car crash places extreme stress on the spine, leading to pain, stiffness, and difficulty moving.

Visiting a chiropractor specializing in car accident injuries can significantly improve your healing process.

The Most Common Spinal Injury

During a vehicle accident, the neck and spine can endure a powerful, abrupt back-and-forth impact, similar to a whip cracking. When this force leads to a neck strain or sprain, it’s called whiplash.

While most people consider whiplash a neck injury, any area of the spine can suffer. The force of the vehicle accident can lead to excessive stretching of muscles, tendons, and ligaments, damaging all areas of the spine.

When untreated, whiplash can lead to chronic neck pain and enduring limits on your range of motion in the neck and upper spine.

How Is Whiplash Diagnosed from Spinal Injury?

When you visit your chiropractor after a car accident, they’ll evaluate your spine in its entirety, even if you come with a specific complaint. Frequently, pain in one area can overshadow other damage sustained during your accident.

Your chiropractic exam will identify injuries, muscle tightness and spasms, and areas where the range of motion is limited. Your chiropractor may also order an X-ray or MRI to evaluate your damage further.

Chiropractic Adjustments for Whiplash

When you are still experiencing acute pain from your whiplash, your chiropractor will begin your treatment by focusing on reducing inflammation and using gentle manual therapy to stretch and realign the neck.

As your inflammation decreases, your chiropractor will begin delicately manipulating the spine using various techniques customized to your needs. Some forms of spinal manipulation your chiropractor may use include:

• Flexion-distraction: A gentle, non-thrusting form of manipulation
• Instrument-assisted manipulation: Using a specialized handheld instrument
• Specific spinal manipulation: A careful thrusting technique to restore function

Often, chiropractors pair spinal manipulation with therapeutic massage, easing tension in the neck and allowing for more productive adjustments.

These combined techniques intend to restore normal function and alignment to the spine and relax the muscles around the damaged areas, releasing the tension around misalignments.

Trust the Experienced Whiplash Chiropractors at Veeva Chiropractic Clinic

Even minor car accidents can significantly affect your neck and spine. Visiting a car accident specialist, like the team at Veeva Chiropractic Clinic, allows for a faster and more complete recovery.

If you’ve suffered a car accident in Oregon or Washington, schedule your consultation with Veeva Chiropractic Clinic today to begin healing properly.