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Category: Neck Pain

By Dr. Arash Payrovan Car Accident, Chiropractic, Neck Pain, Personal Injury, Whiplash

What is and how do you treat Whiplash?

Whiplash is a neck injury from a forceful back and forth movement of the neck

The main cause for a whiplash is usually from a motor vehicle collision but can also occur by other forms for example a fall.  A few of the symptoms that you can experience from a whiplash are neck pain, muscle spasms, stiffness, decrease of range of motion, headaches, fatigue, dizziness and even radiating symptoms. Radiating symptoms are when you begin to feel numbness and tingling into the arms and fingers. Some patients also experience more severe symptoms like blurred vision, difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, ringing in the ears, and depression.

After a motor vehicle collision, you should seek medical care and rule out fracture or ligamentous instability that could damage or worsen your symptoms and be life threatening. The forceful backward and forward motion can injure and damage, your bones in the spine, the discs that are in between the bones, ligaments, nerves, muscles and other tissues in the neck. There is not a specific recovery time frame and It is difficult to predict how long the recovery for a whiplash injury will take whether it is a few weeks, a few months, or years to recover. Some complication to your recovery could be age, previous trauma, and chronic neck pain that can play a big role in the recovery of a whiplash injury.

What do we do as chiropractors to treat whiplash?

We perform a very detailed exam that consist of the patients’ current range of motion, orthopedic exams, cranial nerve exam, sensory testing, motor testing, reflex testing, detecting muscle spasms and restrictions in the spine. After examining the patient, the doctor comes up with a proper diagnosis and requests the proper imaging. For a neck injury the doctor usually tends to send out a script for imaging whether it is an X-ray, CT, MRI of the cervical spine which is the neck. Once we receive the imaging and report we make sure the patient did not suffer from altitudinal ligamental tear or a fracture in the spine and we can begin conservative care. We begin by treating conservatively by applying electrical stimulation to the surrounding muscles. Electrical stimulation sends electrical pulses to the muscles through the skin to stimulate the injured muscles and help reduce pain. Electrical stem helps accelerate recovery and provides some relief of pain. Although Electrical stimulation is great it is not for everyone, patients with pacemakers or any kind of heart device and pregnant mothers should stay away from Electrical stimulation. Alongside with electrical stimulation we like to use ice to help reduce inflammation and heat to help relax muscles.  Another treatment is myofascial release.

What is myofascial release?

Myofascial release is a very safe and effective hands on technique pressure that is applied to connective tissues restrictions to help with pain and restore some motion.  As a chiropractor and being one of the main things we do we also provide chiropractic adjustments, also known as spinal manipulations to the cervical (neck) spine, thoracic (upper back) spine and lumbar (low back) spine. A chiropractor uses their hands, or a small instrument called an Activator to apply a controlled force to the spinal joint. The adjustment helps improve motion and physical function. Some patients that suffer from headaches symptoms after a motor vehicle collision seem to decrease after an adjustment. Once the patient is out of the acute phase, we introduce active therapy. For our active therapy we introduce the patient to different stretches and exercises. The stretches will help release the contracted muscles and help increase range of motion. We also teach exercises to help strengthened the weak muscles in the cervical spine and thoracic spine. Once we strengthened the muscles it helps with the natural curves that we have in our spine whether its is the lordotic curve in the neck which is known as the cervical spine or kyphotic curve in the upper back which is known as the thoracic spine. These curves should be maintained because many times after a motor vehicle collision the curves tend to reverse which can cause muscle spasms and pain. The way we maintain those curves are by strengthening the extensor muscles which are in the back of the neck and upper back. If we strengthened, then that helps with posture which will in the long term help the curves and take weight off of the neck muscles. Another problem we see with whiplash patients is forward head posture which puts a lot of weight on the muscles and ligament in the neck. After a whiplash the patient can also suffer from a sprain and strain in the neck. A sprain and strain is when the neck muscle and ligaments become overstretched like a rubber band and it takes time for those muscles and ligaments to return to its “normal” elasticity.

Why Choose IRC IRC Physical Therapy and Chiropractic Clinic?

We are committed as primary health care professionals to help our clients resume their lifelong pursuit of health, fitness, and well-being.

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We at IRC Physical Therapy and Chiropractic Clinic take a goal-oriented approach to healing. Whatever your goals might be we want to help you achieve them

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We’ll provide hands-on treatment in the office and education you can take home with you, enabling you to become an active participant in your recovery and future chiropractic health.

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Our chiropractor's have a combined 120 years of clinical experience and a shared passion for helping our community stay active.

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IRC Clinic - What To Do After an Accident - Plano Chiropractor, Can I really get injured in a low speed accident?
By Dr. Arash Payrovan Back Pain, Car Accident, Chiropractic, Head Injury, Headaches, Neck Pain, Personal Injury, Whiplash

Can I really get injured in a low speed accident?

Injuries from Low Impact Accidents

A low impact auto accident is generally defined as an incident that takes place at speeds less than 10 miles per hour (mph). This type of collision usually causes the least amount of damage to the vehicles involved. Body injuries can result from any accident and that includes ones that occur with vehicles going less than 10 mph. Soft tissue injuries are the most common problem for those involved in a low impact accident.
A motor vehicle accident that takes place at speeds between under 10 mph often brings about little visible damage to the cars involved. Sometimes due to the fact that minimal damage was done to vehicle the injuries to the people in the vehicles are overlooked. This does not mean that bodily injury did not occur to the passengers during the crash.
While an automobile is built to take a slow 5 to 10 mph crash that is not necessarily true for your body. In a low impact accident a person’s soft tissue can be damaged.The back and neck are the usual problem spots for soft tissue injuries. Soft tissue is basically a person’s ligaments, tendons and muscles. Soft tissue injuries are typically classified as contusions or bruises, sprains or strains. 
A contusion is an injury to the soft tissue caused by blunt force. This force produces pooling of blood around the injury causing discoloring of the skin. This is commonly is referred to as a bruise. Bruising can be found in different shapes and colors.
A sprain is an injury to a ligament often brought about by a wrench or twist. A sprain can be a simple sprain, a partial tear or a complete tear. This can happen to various parts of a person’s body during an accident. It is not uncommon for a person to twist in their seat as a vehicle strikes theirs during the incident.
A strain is an injury to the muscle or tendon caused by overuse, force or stretching. The force of the car crash can push on a person’s soft tissue or cause parts to stretch in an abnormal way.Muscles and tendons support your bones. A strain may cause a partial or complete tear in the muscle and tendon combination.
The neck of a car occupant can whip forward causing the most common rear impact injury known as whiplash. General Motors (GM) did a study regarding crashes at speeds below eight mph. GM found, to no surprise, that injuries do occur at such low speeds. The study also showed that whiplash injuries account for more than half of all injuries connected to vehicular accidents. 
Although these types of injuries are characteristically classified as minor nearly 30 percent of those hurt in low speed collisions have reported having neck pain up to three years later. This injury is likely to be worse in those that experienced a rear end collision. Depending on the age of the person this injury could cause a permanent disability.
A motor vehicle can take the force of a low speed collision without showing much damage due to the advances car manufacturers have made in the construction of their vehicles. When a collision does occur the force of the accident pushes inertia somewhere and once the automobile has taken part of that energy away the occupants take the rest. These forces are what can cause people bodily harm even in a crash of below 10 mph.Soft tissue injuries can occur to those involved in a low speed impact and though these injuries might be hard to see they exist. 
IRC Clinic - Whiplash - Richardson Chiropractor
By Dr. Arash Payrovan Chiropractic, Headaches, Neck Pain, Personal Injury, Whiplash

Facts about Whiplash

Facts about Whiplash

The term “whiplash” usually brings to mind neck pain, headaches and/or a stiff neck. However, there are other symptoms associated with whiplash that we don’t usually think of, such as ringing in the ears or, tinnitus. In the absence of whiplash, there are many people who experience an occasional ringing or sound of some sort in their ears. The ringing may seem to keep time with the heartbeat or, in cadence with breathing and is more common over the age of 40, and more common in men. The sound can be a buzzing, ringing, roaring, hissing or high pitched noise that usually lasts only seconds or minutes at the most. So, think of those times when you’ve noticed tinnitus and ask yourself, “…how would that affect me if that noise never stopped or lasted for hours?”

Before we discuss the association of tinnitus with whiplash, let’s review some facts discovered about tinnitus. There are two primary types of tinnitus: Pulsatile and nonpulsatile. Pulsatile tinnitus is often caused by sounds created either by blood flow problems in the face or neck, muscle movements near the ear, or changes in the ear canal. The non-pulsatile tinnitus is usually caused by nerve problems involving hearing in one or both ears. The later is sometimes described as a sound coming from inside the head. The most common cause of tinnitus is from hearing loss that occurs from aging – technically called presbycusis. However, it can also occur from living or working in a loud environment. Tinnitus can occur with many types of hearing loss and can be a symptom of almost any ear disorder. Other common causes include earwax buildup, certain medication side effects (aspirin, antibiotics), too much caffeine or alcohol intake, ear infections – which can lead to rupture of the eardrum, dental problems, TMJ or jaw problems, following surgery or radiation therapy to the head or neck, a rapid change in environmental pressure (airplane rides, elevators, scuba diving), severe weight loss from malnutrition or dieting, bicycle riding with the neck extended for lengthy time-frames, high blood pressure, nerve conditions (MS, migraine headache), as well as other conditions such as acoustic neuroma, anemia, labyrinthitis, Meniere’s disease, otosclerosis and thyroid disease. The good news is that most of the time, tinnitus comes and goes and does not require treatment. When tinnitus is associated with other symptoms, does not get better or go away, or is in only one ear, it is wise to consult with us. Spinal manipulation and other chiropractic treatment approaches are often VERY helpful in resolving tinnitus with the benefits of avoiding the need for medications, all of which carry secondary side effects. Chiropractic approaches are also highly effective when tinnitus is accompanied by dizziness or vertigo, usually requiring treatment applied to the upper neck area.

So, how does whiplash cause tinnitus? There are primary as well as secondary causes that can give rise to tinnitus after whiplash. After looking at the long list of causes above, direct trauma to the head such as hitting the side window, the back of the seat, the steering wheel, mirror and/or windshield makes obvious sense. Secondary causes often involve the TMJ or jaw which is commonly injured in whiplash. By itself, TMJ can cause ear pain, tinnitus, vertigo (dizziness), hearing loss, and headaches. Because many nerves that innervate the neck and head arise from the neck as well as from the cranial nerves, spinal manipulation of the neck as well as certain cranial manipulations can have a dramatic benefit in the treatment of whiplash induced tinnitus.

We realize you have a choice in where you choose your health-care services.  If you, a friend or family member requires care for whiplash, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future