At Alaska Back Care Center, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of our field. Nowhere else is that more evident than with our whiplash therapy service. While we strive for and maintain exceptional quality in each of our services, we are true whiplash specialists.
Whiplash is a neck injury most commonly associated with car crashes, especially rear-end car crashes, but they can occur by being hit elsewhere. Injury can range from simple muscle strains to injuries involving the ligaments, joints, discs, and nerves in the neck.
Whiplash injuries can range from minor muscle strains (grade 1) to injuries requiring surgery (grade 5)*. Even low speed rear-end crashes under 10 miles per hour with little or no damage to the vehicle(s) can cause serious injury to the neck and back.
Dr. Barry Matthisen consistently remains at the forefront of whiplash research, thanks to his involvement with the Spine Research Institute of San Diego since 2002. They review whiplash research from around the world and share research with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In fact, Dr. Barry Matthisen’s has been qualified as an expert in court and often testifies on behalf of his patients.
Anchorage Whiplash Injury Treatment
If you were in a car accident recently and are currently experiencing shoulder and neck pain, there is a good chance you have sustained a whiplash injury. Even after a minor accident, whiplash is common and may become a chronic injury if it is not properly and quickly treated.
At Alaska Back Care Center, our Dr. Barry and Dr. Bryan Matthisen are skilled and experienced in treating whiplash injuries. They can help to relieve your pain and restore your full range of motion. For more information on treating whiplash, give our office a call today at (907) 349-4212 or send contact us to request an appointment.
How Does Whiplash Occur?
Severe forms of whiplash occur whenever the head is raised over the upper cervical spine. A strain or sprain is created by the lifting action in the area right under the skill, which is where a person will normally experience whiplash symptoms. Whiplash often can result in pinched nerves and herniated discs, which may cause other pain symptoms following a car crash. However, symptoms might also be present in other parts of the neck. When a whiplash injury is suffered, turning your head, looking up, looking down, and laterally bending will often increase your discomfort level and pain.
Symptoms Of A Whiplash Injury
Two of the more common symptoms that a person with whiplash experiences are neck stiffness and pain. A headache on the base of a person’s skull is present in over two-thirds of patients who have been diagnosed with whiplash. The headache might be bilateral (both sides) or unilateral (one side only) The pain can also extend to the low back, upper back, upper chest, arms, and shoulders.
Whiplash symptoms from a rear-end collision vary from one individual to the next. Some of the more common whiplash signs are whiplash lower back pain at times, whiplash sore throat, muscle spasms, sore neck muscles, neck pain, and headaches. Also, there are some patients who experience low back pain that is caused by the accident. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms and were involved in a car accident recently, it is strongly recommended that you come to our accident clinic in Anchorage so that a medical professional of ours can evaluate you.
Many patients who have whiplash injuries experience the following:
- Neck to shoulder pain
- Headaches
- Mid back pain
- Trouble concentrating
- Irritability
- Dizziness
- Nausea
Quite often, the signs and symptoms of whiplash don’t develop immediately after sustaining an injury. Quite often there is a delay of two to 48 hours and there some people who do not experience any whiplash symptoms at all for several weeks. That is why it is essential to undergo an evaluation that is conducted by Dr. Barry and Dr. Bryan Matthisen after your car accident.
Why Chiropractic Treatment?
When a whiplash injury occurs to the cervical spine, damage to the spinal ligaments and muscles at specific vertebral segments can occur causing localized and referring pain. That damage can result in hypermobile vertebral segments that are problematic. Spinal manipulation targets the hypomobile segments above and below the hypermobile segments to restore natural motion in your neck to allow your injured structures to heal.
Whiplash Physical Rehabilitation
Physical rehabilitation concurrently with targeted spinal manipulation frequently is necessary in order to restore the health of the patient following a car accident. After our patient has been evaluated and diagnosed by Dr. Barry and Dr. Bryan Matthisen, we will develop a detailed treatment plan. Quite often whiplash treatment exercises are part of the overall rehabilitation plan. They help to strengthen the patient’s neck muscles as well as prevent whiplash pain from becoming worse.
Learn More About the Digital Motion X-RAY
Digital Motion X-ray (DMX) is a new type of fluoro-based x-ray system. Combined with new digital and optic technology, it allows us to view the spine in a real-time motion at 30 x-rays per second. The procedure is performed with the patient standing and actively moving their head and neck within the system.
We are the only chiropractic clinic in Alaska that utilizes Digital Motion X-Ray (DMX) to diagnose and treat our patients. This is the latest innovation in imaging technology allows us to check for factors that other forms of imaging cannot, such as joint instability. Dr. Barry Matthisen continues to stay on the forefront of whiplash research, and our DMX provides invaluable insight.
Watch the experts describe in detail of the most common signs and symptoms of injuries due to whiplash.
