Whiplash Injury and Understanding if you Have Whiplash Symptoms

Do you think you have whiplash symptoms?

A “whiplash injury” to your head-neck can occur with any accident involving the body and a hard unyielding surface. More often we think of “whiplash injury” to involve an accident between motorized vehicles. To understand why this injury can be so devastating to the person, let’s review the anatomy of the head and neck.

Your head and neck function like a ball at the end of a semi-rigid chain--this was an evolutionary process which helped the survival of the species.  Your head (the ball) weighs approximately 8-12 lbs and sits on your neck (the chain), which is made up of seven vertebra.  The shape of the joints of the vertebra allow for a great deal of movement in all directions.  The neck sits on a very rigid area (the upper back or thoracic spine), hence the analogy of the “ball and chain”.
 
The neck is supported by a network of ligaments, capsules and muscles; these provide movement and help to hold the neck upright.  This allows the nerves that leave from between each pair of vertebra to have free movement without pain.  This is what “normal” should be as you undertake all your activities of daily living.

Trauma

Trauma to the neck can be caused by a slip, fall, sports injury or the more common motor vehicle injury, whiplash.  When trauma occurs to the body, your neck, because of the “ball and chain” effect, most often takes the brunt of the trauma.  The neck, with the heavy head at the top, stretches, flexes or bends excessively.  The muscles, to a degree, protects the joints of the vertebra, but not totally. Sometimes an event happens so quickly that the muscles react slowly or are stretched beyond their tolerances.
 

Whiplash Symptoms  - Neck Pain

The “whiplash injury” causes the following major conditions: headaches, neck pain,  possible tearing of the deep anterior neck muscles, sleep disturbances, arm pain/weakness, dizziness/vertigo, nausea, double vision, ringing in the ears – tinnitus and low energy.

Concussion

With rapid movement of your head and neck and quick stops, the brain housed in the head, continues to move and gets squashed against the skull. This we call a concussion. Some of the main symptoms are lack of focus and concentration, along with memory lapses.  I can relate to all of these because in 1980, I had the last of my three whiplash accidents.

When patients enter the Centre with this injury and all of the symptoms listed above, here is what we do to quickly return them to optimal function.

Insomnia

Neck pain and lack of sleep are the two most significant initial complaints with whiplash injury. To address these conditions effectively, I use laser and nutrition to begin to heal the injured muscles and provide pain relief. For individuals who cannot attend the Centre,* we add specific supplements to increase the healing of the tissue. The injured muscles are contributing to the pain and lack of sleep. Studies have shown that the deep posterior muscles, when injured, activate the brainstem centers which affect the sleep cycle. Healing the deep muscles quickly will calm the brainstem and induce sleep. As the patient begins to sleep better, he will respond more quickly to the therapeutic interventions and achieve whiplash injury relief.

Whiplash Injury Treatment - Rehab Program

As the deep and superficial muscles begin to heal, the patient is introduced to a specific Neck Rehab Program, which begins the process of returning strength and co-ordination to the neck and shoulder girdle. The injury affects the eye-head-neck co-ordination, the Neck Rehab Program returns the strength, balance and co-ordinated movement to the head-neck. Patients with dizziness/vertigo, nausea, double vision, begin to experience less of those symptoms as they achieve whiplash injury relief.

NeuroLink

Some patients experience a mild concussion, which can express itself as decreased concentration, focus and memory lapses. I do the NeuroLink Program ** with these patients and add special supplements to help to nourish the injured brain tissue. Within two to four weeks we have a patient that is sleeping better, focusing easier with neck pain relief and no dizziness. They now participate more actively with their rehabilitation as they achieve whiplash injury relief.

* For patients not able to attend the Centre, we do the same for them by adding  Patent Amino Acids to the program. It does take a little longer, but it does work, because we are not using the laser to assist with the healing.

** The NeuroLink Program. If you have had a concussion, or were unconscious for a period of time, please email me and I will assist you to find a Therapist in your area for this very effective program.  

By following these simple but effective steps, you too can achieve whiplash injury relief.

I am dedicated to your pain relief and healthy life.

Click here to find out more about how Dr. Don Fitz-Ritson can help your back pain in Toronto.

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