Corrective Exercise, Human Movement, Posture, Success and Personal Development

Don’t get me wrong, I have been an Iroman fan since I was a kid (I even collected Ironman comic books and still have them in storage)

and…I have been thrashing to Metallica since the 7th grade when I bought the ride the Lightening cassette

But feel free to download Whiplash if you are looking for a great example of the Southern California/English Invasion of metal in the early 80’s.

But on to the post! Acceleration/deceleration injuries are no joke and I can vouch from personal and professional experience. I have had whiplash

WebMD does a nice job summarizing whiplash even though there are a host of other resources out there to learn more about this condition and it’s treatment.
“Whiplash, also called neck sprain or neck strain, is injury to the neck. Whiplash is characterized by a collection of symptoms that occur following damage to the neck. In whiplash, the intervertebral joints (located between vertebrae), discs, and ligaments, cervical muscles, and nerve roots may become damaged.

What Causes Whiplash?
Whiplash is caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head, either backward or forward, and often occurs as a result of a car accident.

What Are the Symptoms of Whiplash?
Symptoms of whiplash may be delayed for 24 hours or more after the initial trauma. However, people who experience whiplash may develop one or more of the following symptoms, usually within the first few days after the injury.

Neck pain and stiffness
Headaches
Pain in the shoulder or between the shoulder blades
Low back pain
Pain or numbness in the arm and/or hand
Dizziness
Ringing in the ears or blurred vision
Difficulty concentrating or remembering
Irritability, sleep disturbances, fatigue
How Is Whiplash Diagnosed?
In most cases, injuries are to soft tissues such as the disks, muscles and ligaments, and cannot be seen on standard X-rays. Specialized imaging tests, such as CT scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be required to diagnose whiplash.

How Is Whiplash Treated?
No single treatment has been scientifically proven as effective for whiplash, but pain relieving medications such as Motrin or Aleve along with gentle exercises, physical therapy traction, massage, heat, ice, injections, (chiropractic manipulations-Eirc added this and this has been documented in several high level studies) and ultrasound all have been helpful for certain patients.

In the past, whiplash injuries were often treated with immobilization in a cervical collar. However, the current trend is to encourage early movement instead of immobilization. Ice may be applied for the first 24 hours, followed by gentle active movement.”

Some personal insights-take a look at this picture

and imagine the muscle spindle fibers in the scalenes and anterior neck musculature, as the spine is forced into extension, the spindle fibers are stretched and the stretch reflex is activated and they go into spasm. The scalenes, sterno-cleido mastoid, longus coli, longus capitus and hyoids go into lock down trying to keep the head and neck from ripping off of the body. Depending on which direction the force comes from, this of course changes the muscles that are initially lengthened. I just want to remind people that the anterior neck musculature must be addressed. Often times massage therapists (and even other manual therapists) that go to shorter educational programs do not have the training to address these tissues safely, but it must be done.

Also, I think this is the most important part of the post, is that symptoms can take days even weeks manifest, If you are in an accident (fall, mva, roller coaster etc.) go see your primary care physician or report to an emergency room asap to get radiographic evidence following a proper evaluation to protect yourself when you may want to pursue care a couple of weeks down the line and you do not want anyone accusing you of slipping and falling on ice or hurting yourself moving your buddy’s coach instead of being hurt in that original accident. Get check out and be proactive. Don;t wait till things are so tight that you can’t sleep 3 days alter or you have headaches a week alter and you can not figure out why:)***also receiving treatment early (even mobilizations) on may speed recovery***

This is a real x-ray I took of someone who fell off of monkey bars at a playground and landed on their back.

They used a cervical collar for 3 days, ice therapy, arnica, Biofreeze, shiatsu, acupuncture, massage therapy and Chiropractic care to restore their lordotic curve to their cervical spine in 8 days, full range of motion in 10 days and complete elimination of pain in 10 days. This person is a minor and they heal at a faster rate than adults, but the care process can apply to adults as well. Corrective exercise protocols can be implemented now that pain and swelling have been eliminated.

So don’t just think of your boy Tony Stark (Ironman) get anyone who is suffering from signs and symptoms of whiplash some care and corrective exercise.

Go help someone with this information today or add on with a comment!

Eric Beard
CEO A-Team

Corrective Exercise Specialist

AthleticShoulder.com
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