Whiplash Cure

Greg was carefully driving down the busy city street. Having been a taxi driver for such a long time, the dark-skinned, heavy-set man was having a fun day. He had just taken a frequent passenger of his over to a hotel, in which he was tipped quiet largely for his efforts. Laughing as he drives, he suddenly sees a cat sleeping in the middle of the street. Stepping hard on the brakes, Greg’s upper body – particularly his neck – jerked violently. Dazed and in pain because of the sudden stop, he looked up over from his hood. The cat was safe.

Taking the cat with him home, Greg felt the repercussions of his neck pain. Suddenly, he remembered his first aid driving school lessons. It must be a whiplash injury, he said.

First bringing the cat inside, and setting some milk in a dish for it to feast on, Greg sat on his bed and tried to remember his lessons:

You Have Got to Move it, Boy!
And that’s the first thing he thought of. He remembered that constant movement is needed in a whiplash injury, in order for the neck not to lock up. Slowly twisting and turning his neck, in a circular then side-by-side motion, Greg then gently massaged the troubled area. He did this for quite some time, until he felt the pain subside. Gaining confidence because of the movement, he made sure that his neck is in total motion at all times.

Proper posture even at sleep is needed, Boy!
To help him have the right neck and back posture, Greg laid out several soft pillows on top of his bed. He made sure that the pillows were placed on just the right spots. This will help him sleep on a bad and painful position, when he does decide to call it a night later.

Call the physiotherapist, Boy!
And right after cleaning the cat’s dish up, Greg called up his physiotherapist buddy. He scheduled an appointment with him for the next day, just to make sure that everything is OK with his neck. His friend also advised him of several medications which he may take for a peaceful night, on which luckily, he has some available on stock in his cellar.

So Greg’s ready to sleep on his whiplash injury safe bed. He’s also quite excited on meeting his physiotherapist buddy the next day. But most of all, he’s quite happy that he’s found a new friend. With the cat purring softly, he turned off the lights and said goodnight to another day in his life.

As one who drives his own car, I know first-hand how inconvenient and costly accidents are. It’s a fact of life – no matter how safe or defensive you drive, you can never prevent accidents. One such common vehicular accident are whiplash injuries. This is where when the sudden jerk of one’s neck – probably due to a car’s brakes – causes mild to severe pain. It’s uncomfortable, to say the least. Sad thing about this, most drivers take this injury for granted. If you did or are currently suffering from whiplash injury, are you doing yourself a favor by doing the right sort of treatment? Check this quiz out, to find out if you’re doing things properly:

After an unfortunate whiplash injury, do you try to move your head constantly?

Yes           No

Quite surprisingly, constant movement is needed in order to fast-track a whiplash injury. Often, because of the pain involved, most patients opt to let the neck stay in a static and unmoving position. This in turn, may lead to even more problems which would stiffen or lock the neck up. Help yourself by slowly moving your neck in a circular motion. Then, try to gently massage your entire neck – particularly the affected area. Once the pain has subsided, make sure to regularly move your neck. This will prevent pain from setting in again.

After an unfortunate whiplash injury, do you use soft pillows to cushion your neck?

Yes           No

Because your neck will probably be in a world of pain after a whiplash injury incident, it’s also best to use soft pillows and other related cushioning material to properly support your neck. Good cushioning material will not only help you position yourself in a comfortable manner. It will also help you have a good postural position when you sleep, a plus when treating whiplash injuries.

After an unfortunate whiplash injury, have you tried contacting a physiotherapist?

Yes           No

Regardless if your whiplash injury is mild or not, always consult a physiotherapist’s help. A physiotherapist, depending on the severity of the injury, may also recommend other treatment options such as heat and traction. Likewise, a physiotherapist may also prescribe with the needed medication, to help you recover.

Recovering from whiplash injuries can be as easy as counting – if you know what you’re doing. Always take this quiz whenever you need to fight whiplash. And to help you further out, make sure to drive safely. You never want to experience this condition.

A common and devastating injury commonly encountered in vehicular accidents, whiplash is the sudden and violent jolt and extension of the neck due to a strong impact or crash. As the neck and spine are the areas damaged by this injury, whiplash may prove to be a dangerous – and often fatal – incidence.

Prevention of whiplash may vary from each car, with some models containing features meant to stop the impact. Though this is still not fool-proof, with the unpredictability and circumstantial events that causes whiplash.

Whiplash also causes neck sprains, wherein may appear hours after the accident actually occurred. Common symptoms of whiplash neck sprain are pain and stiffness in the neck; headache, dizziness and trouble turning or bending the neck.

There is hope for those unfortunately involved in a whiplash accident, and having a neck sprain as a result. Here are some treatment options worth considering:

Progression starts with movement – as hard as it may be, with a neck sprain so painful, try moving the neck as much as possible. Once the neck has moved, a gentle massage is in order. The reason for constant movement is to prevent the neck from “locking up”, or “stiffening up”.

Choice of Drug – upon consultation and recommendation from your doctor, you may be prescribed any of the following drugs – paracetamol, anti-inflammatory painkiller, and/or a muscle relaxant.

Posture Perfect – keeping a good, straight posture may help relieve the pain caused by whiplash neck sprain. Also, implementing exercises that include postural adjustments in their routine – Yoga, Pilates – may improve neck and back posture as well.

Soft Cushioning for A Hard Neck – soft pillows and mattresses may help relieve some of the pain in the neck. The pillow will also allow the patient to position the neck and head back to a good posture.

Getting Physical – getting help from a physiotherapist may help relieve the pain as well. On an initial visit with one, a whiplash neck sprain patient may be offered different treatment options such as heat or traction procedures. A physiotherapist may also provide instructions and demonstrations of special exercises, which may be done in the comfort and security of the patient’s home. As of note, a doctor usually recommends a physiotherapist’s advice, if the prescribed painkillers have little to no effect on the patient at all.

Whiplash neck sprain, though not exactly preventable, can still be treated. Proper knowledge, patience and the will to endure painful movement and discomfort can help overcome this pesky neck sprain.