Experienced Whiplash? 3 Ways Your Chiropractor Can Assist You
When you are involved in a car accident, whiplash is a common physical side effect. One method for treating whiplash is chiropractic treatment. Your chiropractor can do a lot more than just adjust your spine; they can also use manual therapies to treat your soft-tissue whiplash injuries.
#1 Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger point therapy is focused on identifying points where your muscles are painful and tight. For example, if you have an area on your neck that feels like a large "knot" has developed due to your whiplash, trigger point therapy is a means of treating that "knot" or tight muscle group.
When your chiropractor finds an area where your muscles are really tight, they will apply direct pressure to those muscles. They may use their fingers to apply direct pressure, or they may use a massage tool to apply the direct pressure to your muscles.
The applying of direct pressure to areas where your muscles are tight is supposed to help release the tension in your muscles and provide you with some pain relief.
#2 Therapeutic Massage
Therapeutic massage is not limited to massage therapists. Many chiropractors also perform therapeutic massage techniques on their patients in order to relax their muscles. With whiplash, the use of therapeutic massage techniques by chiropractors is extremely common. Whiplash causes your muscles to feel really tight, and therapeutic massage can help relieve that tightness.
#3 Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Therapy
Next, one of the most popular instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy is the Graston technique. This technique used specific chiropractic instruments to help treat soft tissue injuries such as whiplash.
The Graston technique consists of your chiropractor using a tool and running it over the area where you are sore from your whiplash with gentle, soft strokes. The instrument will be moved over the area repeatedly to help relieve muscle tension and soreness.
#4 Manual Stretching
Finally, your chiropractor will also use manual joint stretching to help stretch out your muscles and joints. They will work with you to stretch out your neck, shoulders, arms and back to help treat your whiplash.
Chiropractors can use many different techniques outside of manual adjustments to relieve the tension in your body and treat your whiplash. Be sure to discuss with your chiropractor what techniques they may be able to use to help treat the muscle soreness from your whiplash, and let your chiropractor know what techniques feel beneficial on your end. For more information on whiplash treatments, contact a chiropractor at a location like Contino Chiropractic Center.
Share