It’s a pretty common situation; you, or someone you know, are just waiting at a stoplight, on your way to something, and BAM! Some driver, not paying attention, slams right into you. This can be a terrifying and expensive ordeal, but thankfully, most people who are rear ended while driving around town come out unscathed.
Or do they?
In reality, an incident like this might have hurt you…and you may not even be aware.
When you’re hit from behind, the force of the collision can cause your head and neck to pitch forward, commonly resulting in a well-known condition called whiplash.
Whiplash can damage the soft tissues of the neck, straining the muscles and the ligaments in that part of your body beyond their normal range of motion.
A lot of times, we ignore a little soreness or stiffness. We assume it’ll just go away over time. But, whiplash can actually leave you with some serious issues if not properly cared for. Some symptoms to watch for, besides physical pain: blurry vision, difficulty swallowing, irritability, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, ringing in the ears and vertigo.
It’s perfectly normal to feel pain and stiffness in your neck and back after a whiplash incident. You might even start feeling better quickly. BUT, if you experience the recurrence of these symptoms after a few days, you might want to get yourself in for an evaluation.
Here at 360 Chiropractic, our ultimate goal is to help you feel your very best – if you have been in a collision, don’t wade in pain; get help!