Why You Have Headaches Now Several Days After A Car Accident

You had a minor car accident days ago and now you're having severe headaches. This delayed reaction to an accident is commonly known as whiplash. Visiting a chiropractor for whiplash injuries will reduce the pain and help you heal quicker than if you just try to "tough it out." Here is why you have the headaches now and what a chiropractor can do to relieve your pain.

A Painful Delayed Reaction to an Injury

During the accident, your head was forced backwards suddenly, then forward. This occurs so quickly that you may not remember it happening. The movement creates small tears in the muscles in and around your neck. This causes inflammation in the area, which cushions the muscles from further injury. You may not have pain but will experience a stiff neck for a few days.

As the inflammation goes down, your body will respond to the torn tissues with pain in your shoulders and neck and with painful headaches. The pain will make your muscles contract, and you'll have a stiff neck again. This cycle will continue until the muscles heal and the inflammation is completely gone.

Treatment of Whiplash Injuries

Your local chiropractor specializes in the muscles and nerves around the spine. They use a variety of non-invasive techniques to help you recover from the whiplash injury. They will recommend one or more of the following treatments to give you relief while your muscles heal.

Active Release Technique - This helps tight muscles relax, which increases circulation in the area and reduces inflammation. The chiropractor feels along your neck and shoulders to identify tense muscles. They will then massage those muscles in the direction of the muscle's normal movement. This helps the muscles to relax and gets rid of your stiff neck. If the chiropractor finds scar tissue in the muscles, they will apply pressure to break it up, which also increases circulation.

Myofascial Release Technique - Some of the muscles may have become so tense that they form a knot under the skin. You may have painful spasms where these knots occur. In this technique, the chiropractor places steady pressure on the muscle knot until it relaxes. This reduces the spasms and neck stiffness.

Physical Therapy - To prevent the muscles from contracting, physical therapy may be recommended to keep the muscles stretched out to their normal length. The chiropractor or physical therapist will also show you exercises that you can do keep the muscles in your upper back and neck from becoming tense again.

For more information, contact TLC Chiropractic or a similar location.

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