Understanding Neck Strains
Also known as whiplash, a neck strain occurs because of damage to the muscles or tendons in the neck. That can be the result of a rear-end collision at only Five MPH, which causes your neck to move forward and back in a whip like motion.
Though, it is easy to think that it is not possible to suffer from whiplash unless you’re in a vehicle, that’s not true. A person can suffer from this type of neck injury because of a sports related injury, a fall, or anything that extends the neck muscles beyond their normal range of motion.
All of that means that there is a pretty high chance that you ma suffer from whiplash at some point in your life. That also means there’s a pretty high chance that you will have an opportunity to heal from that strain in your neck.
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Though, that will mean taking action, so your neck injury doesn’t worsen over time. Just follow the below steps.
Overcoming Whiplash
- Ice – You will want to place ice on the injured area for no more than 20 minutes. Doing this every three to four hours for the first two to three days will reduce the pain and swelling in your neck. You will also want to wrap the ice pack in a paper towel to prevent frost bite
- Moist Heat – You want to apply heat after you have placed ice on the injured area for the first two or three days. It’s important that you not use heat until you have thoroughly iced the injured area. The ice will reduce the swelling, and heat restores the flow of blood.
- Upper Cervical Chiropractic – This is a step that is often overlooked but is very important. You don’t want to rely on ice and heat alone because that could lead to further complications. It’s important than an upper cervical chiropractor examine your upper cervical spine for any misalignments that could lead to whiplash or worse
Your Upper Neck Vertebrae and Whiplash
When a person suffers from whiplash, the top two vertebrae in the neck, along with the entire neck, are stretched beyond their normal range of motion. A misalignment of the upper cervical spine of only ¼ of a millimeter can place enough pressure on the brainstem to hinder the brain’s ability to communicate with the body. That miscommunication can lead to all sorts of problems include migraines, back and neck problems, Vertigo, and more.
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