Whiplash Treatment in West Omaha From Our Neck Pain Doctor

The crack of a whip typically signals trouble, especially if you happen to be on the other end of that whip. When your neck imitates a whip due to your head flying back and forth at high speed, you may develop another kind of trouble known as whiplash. This neck injury causes a variety of symptoms above and beyond the characteristic neck pain and stiffness that so many people associate with it. We see this condition after mild to severe Auto Accident Injuries

If you've been through a car crash or other incident that may have damaged your neck, you need an West Omaha neck doctor who can set things right as safely and naturally as possible. Here at Kosak Chiropractic and Acupuncture, our own Dr. Kevin Kosak will be more than happy to help. We've seen many different types of auto accident cases.

Whiplash: A Common Result of a Car Crash

It's no coincidence that so many car crash survivors are depicted in films and TV shows as suffering from whiplash. While any sharp jolt to the body may produce the same results, car crashes represent a significant chunk of the 3 million reported whiplash cases each year. You might be astonished to learn that most of those cases occurred when the vehicle was traveling at less than 12 miles per hour.

High speeds aren't necessary to produce whiplash because of the massive forces generated when a heavy vehicle comes to a sudden stop. When those forces are transferred to the bodies inside the vehicle, those bodies go flying -- except for the parts that are secured in place.

If your trunk is held by a three-point seat belt, it will remain where it is, but the weight of your head will still send it flying in all directions. This places tremendous stresses on the vertebrae and tissues of the neck.

Excessive backward motion (hyperextension) and forward motion (hyperflexion) of the neck does extensive damage to these structures. Connective tissues are stretched, muscles are torn, nerves are pinched, and vertebral joints are pulled out of position. The next thing you know, you're looking for an West Omaha whiplash doctor.

Whiplash symptoms can linger for a long time, with chronic pain continuing to plague sufferers up to 20 years later. Other notable problems include:

• Inability to turn or tilt the head
• Headaches or migraines
• Neurological problems in the arms or hands (numbness, tingling, loss of function)
• Mood changes
• Memory loss and other cognitive issues
• TMJ pain
• Changes in the curvature of your neck

The sooner a case of whiplash is addressed by our West Omaha neck pain doctor, the more easily and effectively it can be treated. But you might not schedule that appointment if you're not experiencing any symptoms immediately following a car crash or other incident.

Sometimes the shock of an accident boosts adrenaline levels in the body to the point that symptoms don't immediately register. This can lull you into a false sense of well-being that keeps you from pursuing the help you actually need. It's critical to get your neck evaluated as soon as possible no matter how you feel.

How Chiropractors Help Injured Necks with Whiplash

Chiropractors can treat whiplash safely and non-surgically by correcting the musculoskeletal misalignment in the cervical spine. Our West Omaha chiropractor will first run comprehensive evaluations of your neck, including X-rays that reveal any dislocation of vertebrae or changes in the way your neck curves. We also evaluate the types and locations of your symptoms to understand the full extent of your injuries.

Once we know exactly where and how your neck has been damaged, our West Omaha neck doctor can create a personalized care program to help it heal. We can administer safe, careful cervical spinal adjustments that bring the vertebrae back into their usual alignment, making normal neck function possible once again. These corrections can also release trapped nerve tissues to relieve your neurological symptoms.

Chiropractors are generally referred to as Car Crash Doctors because of their ability to treat neck injuries after a car crash. Additionally, chiropractors are able to help with many other conditions associated with auto accidents.

Whiplash Treatment in West Omaha using Acupuncture

But chiropractic care isn't the only whiplash treatment option we offer here at Kosak Chiropractic and Acupuncture.  If you're suffering from soft tissue pain, we may prescribe a course of acupuncture. Acupuncture uses your body's own painkilling substances to ease discomfort, helping you avoid the potential risks and complications of painkilling drugs. At the same time, electrical muscle stimulation and corrective exercises allow you to rebuild the strength and flexibility in your neck muscles.

By combining these healing modalities so that they naturally enhance each other's effectiveness, our Omaha whiplash doctor can put you on the fastest, easiest path toward complete recovery.

Contact Our West Omaha Whiplash Doctor Today

Don't allow a neck injury to damage your short-term and long-term quality of life. Call Our West Omaha whiplash doctor at Kosak Chiropractic and Acupuncture at (402) 964-0300 today. The sooner you schedule an evaluation and treatment program, the more easily you can kick whiplash to the curb!