Whiplash

Chiropractic is the only proven effective treatment.

Anyone can be subjected to whiplash, even in a low-force car crash at speeds as low as 5mph. Injuries associated with whiplash can also result from other mishaps in which the head is pushed or jerked beyond its normal range of motion.

Whiplash is an all-too-common consequence of the more than one million rear-end collisions that take place in the United States every year. Although the classic symptoms of whiplash (headache, dizziness, neck, shoulder, jaw and/or arm pain) may subside after a few weeks of appropriate care, it is estimated that nearly one in four cases will become chronic, resulting in long-term discomfort and disability.

Chiropractic may offer the best opportunity for relief from the pain of whiplash, according to a study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Medicine. Ninety-three patients with chronic whiplash symptoms were divided into three groups based upon the nature and severity of their symptoms. All 93 patients received an average of 19.3 chiropractic adjustments over the study period (about four months).

Results showed that two of the three groups (patients with neck pain, restricted neck range of motion and/or neurological symptoms) improved under chiropractic care, with 85.5% reporting "some benefit," 33.5% improving by two symptom grades, and 31% being relieved of all symptoms.

Chiropractic techniques and chiropractors' skills are particularly well suited to relieving the neck pain and other debilitating effects of whiplash because they can

* restore movement lost after the accident,

* overcome muscle weakness and enhance muscle tone,

* speed recovery, and

* diminish chronic symptoms that can persist or recur over many years.

Repeated and effective chiropractic adjustments have proved successful for many thousands of patients. Chiropractic can, in many cases, significantly reduce patients' distress and allow them to return to their normal activities rather than seeing themselves as invalids--as so many whiplash victims do long after their accident.

If you or a loved one is suffering from whiplash, make an appointment with a doctor of chiropractic. As the authors of this study conclude, when it comes to treating whiplash, chiropractic is the only proven effective treatment."