Whiplash is caused by a hyperextension of the neck, most commonly as a result of rear-end car accidents or sports injuries, although they can be caused by other traumas too. A medical doctor generally treats whiplash through pain medication, gentle at-home exercises, physical therapy, alternating cold packs and heating pads, and sometimes traction (stretching the neck through an external device) or injections.
This stereotypical approach to treatment is very unappealing to many patients, and in some cases, ineffective. A visit to a chiropractor might be just what the doctor ordered.
What is a chiropractor?
Each doctor of chiropractic medicine (DC) has their own approach, but in general, chiropractors manipulate the bones, especially the spine, of the body, to relieve tension and misalignment of the skeletal system, and thereby the muscles, each of which can move out of their proper place. Since the entire body is connected, when one of these parts shifts, a domino effect begins, pulling others out of place.
What does this have to do with whiplash?
When the muscles and bones in the neck get out of sorts, the entire body gets pulled out of place. You may experience stiffness of the neck and pain that descends into the shoulders or shoulder blades and low back. As the shoulder muscles feel the pull of the neck muscles, pain or numbness can spread down into the arms and hands. Likewise, the head is affected, resulting in headaches, dizziness, cognitive troubles (concentration, memory, and even sleep disruption), and irritability.
The muscles may just be hyperextended and over-strained, requiring gentle techniques for stretching to release that tension. A chiropractor may also use certain trigger points within the system to similar effect. This relaxes the muscles, which in turn allows them to begin to heal, instead of spending energy trying to pull itself back into place, while a pain reliever attempts to mask symptoms.
A vertebrae in the neck might get popped out of line, which then pulls on the muscles even more. Rather than injections and prescriptions, a chiropractor uses specific, external but hands on techniques to put the bone back where it belongs, thus releasing to similar effect. This is rarely achieved in a single visit, but curing whiplash can take months even through traditional treatment methods.
Does it work?
The question should not be “is chiropractic medicine effective for whiplash?” but “is chiropractic medicine effective for you?” Some people think of chiropractors as no more than witch doctors; others find a miracle techniques that relieve years of paralyzing pain. Each chiropractor is as different and effective or ineffective as a medical doctor.
Sometimes a first visit goes badly, and the patient vows never to return to any chiropractor. But not every visit with an MD goes swimmingly either, and very few people swear off traditional medicine when they don’t click with their doctor. Any number of things could cause this initial turn off: doctor and patient fail to mesh, the patient may be so convinced chiropractic care won’t work that they fail to feel a difference (like an opposite placebo effect), the problem may not go away immediately, or symptoms may get worse instead of better.
So for some people, no, chiropractic medicine is not effective, because of the doctor or because of the patient, just like in any medical situation. But for some people, chiropractic care can provide unbelievable relief, and often pain or other symptoms they didn’t even realize the whiplash caused in the first place.
