Treat Whiplash with Manual Therapy

If you have been the victim of a car or motorcycle accident, there is a high probability that you have suffered whiplash.

Whiplash is a highly common injury in automobile and motorcycle accidents due to the severe jerking motion that occurs when you are hit. The sudden impact of an accident causes the unsuspecting bones and muscles of your spine to be stunned or even partially tear, causing extreme pain, tenderness, stiffness, and loss of range of motion.

Here at Impact Medical, we see patients that are in pain from whiplash on a daily basis. While you may think that pain medication is the easiest way to make that discomfort disappear, the truth is that manual therapy is one of the most effective treatments to diminish pain from whiplash and restore function to this area of the body. Today, we are going to spend a few minutes discussing how manual can be the perfect treatment modality for whiplash. Let’s take a look.

When you have received whiplash in a crash, your muscles and the surrounding tissue experience micro-tearing. In order for these tears to be healed, the body produces scar tissue. Scar tissue often forms in thick, disorganized structures and leaves the areas it has developed in feeling stiff and uncomfortable. Anyone who has dealt with this knows it can put a damper on how you feel and the activities you can participate in.

A skilled manual therapist like the team members that we employ at Impact Medical can use specifically targeted manual techniques to break up this tough scar tissue where it has formed. Oftentimes, cross-fiber friction is used to break up adhesions and thicker scar tissue. This technique uses manual in the opposite direction of the muscle fibers to make this happen. In addition, long deep manual strokes can help to lengthen muscle tissue that has seized up and loosen tight musculature. 

When manual is performed weekly for 2-3 months, patients experience decreased pain and restoration of their range of motion. This holds true for those who are recent accident victims or those who may have been suffering for months or even years. Yes, manual can be a perfect treatment for “old” accident muscle injuries.

If manual therapy isn’t enough on its own to help heal your whiplash, the staff at Impact Medical Group always takes a multi-faceted team approach to treating our patient’s injuries and complaints. We employ doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, and imaging technicians all of whom come together to holistically treat your whole body collaboratively. 

Don’t suffer from whiplash or other accident-induced pain any longer. Let the team at Impact Medical evaluate your injuries and develop a personalized treatment plan that will have you back to living your best life in no time. Call us today to schedule a consultation!