Millions of people all over the world experience whiplash. Whiplash is not an actual medical term, but is used to describe the damage that occurs to the head and neck after an impact. The motion of the head quickly moving forward and backward can cause tears in the muscles and ligaments, as well as create pinched nerves and disc damage. The most common area where whiplash is felt is in the cervical vertebrae. These vertebrae are connected to each other by small bands called ligaments.
The treatment of whiplash usually depends on the severity of the damage done to the body. Mild cases of whiplash are often treated with physical therapy, and more severe cases will require braces, immobilization, medication and sometimes surgery.
What You Can Expect with Whiplash Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is one of the most common ways to treat pain associated with whiplash. Your physical therapist will asses the current state of your injury and recommend a treatment plan that often includes specific stretches. You may have to wait for the inflammation to subside before beginning your physical therapy program. Most of the time, your physical therapist will give you exercises and stretches to do between visits. The goal of whiplash physical therapy is to help you restore the mobility and functionality to the muscles in the neck and upper back.
Your therapist may also suggest that you use hot and cold therapies to reduce swelling in the injured area. If you have not seen your therapist yet, you can use heat and ice from home to help reduce the pain. It is best to alternate between heat and ice. Do not apply either a heating pad or ice directly on the skin. Twenty minutes is typically the maximum amount of time you want to apply either ice or heat. You can repeat this process with proper discretion.
Additional Therapy for Whiplash Pain
Massage therapy may also be part of your treatment plan. Whiplash often results in muscle tension, which can be released by an experienced massage therapist. Not all physical therapy programs will include massage therapy. You may have to pay out of pocket for this but it is often a great way to reduce the lingering effects of whiplash injury.
In addition to physical therapy, you may also want to consider a topical pain cream. Pain creams will provide temporary relief while you complete your scheduled physical therapy appointments. Our all natural pain cream, Rub On Relief, contains the strongest pain fighting ingredients, and can be used to treat whiplash pain as well as muscle pain, joint pain, knee pain, back pain and more.
Jesse is the co-founder and visionary CEO of The Healthy Back Institute®, the world-leading source of natural back pain solutions. His mission as a former back pain sufferer is to help others live pain free without surgery and pharmaceuticals.
