Have you ever experienced whiplash? If so, then you know just how painful this sudden condition can be. Mayo Clinic defines whiplash as “a neck injury due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, like the cracking of a whip.” Ouch!

Most of the time, people with whiplash recover within a few weeks through the help of exercise and medication, but this is not always the case. If you’ve been injured and developed whiplash, you may have chronic neck pain or other underlying complications. 

StepUp Physical Therapy in Murray, UT can help relieve your pain and discomfort, and strengthen your muscles to avoid future neck injuries. To learn more about our therapeutic methods for whiplash, call our clinic in Murray, UT today.

Causes of whiplash

Whiplash can be very painful and restrict movement. The sudden movement of the neck and head in a car accident can cause whiplash. Blunt force trauma from a car accident can collapse lungs and break ribs. Whiplash can also result in damage to the spine, disks between the bones, ligaments, muscles, nerves, and tissues in the neck as well.

Common causes of whiplash are:

• Neck injuries received from an auto accident, such as rear ending 
• Sports-related accidents
• Falls

Symptoms of whiplash

If left untreated, whiplash often causes musculoskeletal headaches. Musculoskeletal headaches occur when there are significant amounts of tension in the neck. This is typically a result of weaknesses, physical imbalances, or damage, although emotional tension (such as stress) can also be a contributing factor.

With neck injuries such as whiplash, the muscles and connective tissues in the neck can become torn or strained. This can lead to agonizing pain radiating in the head, as well as in the face, shoulders, or neck. 

Other symptoms of whiplash that Step Up Physical Therapy can treat include: 

• Loss of range of motion in the neck
• Tenderness or pain in the shoulder, upper back or arms
• Tingling or numbness in the arms
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Memory issues
• Depression/anxiety
• Blurred vision 

How can physical help with whiplash?

StepUp Physical Therapy can help alleviate pain from whiplash by showing  you how to keep pain symptoms at bay, improve flexibility, increase strength and recover faster. 

The sooner you get physical therapy after an accident resulting in whiplash, the more likely you are to have a successful, pain-free outcome. Physical therapy can help prevent degenerative disc diseases in patients with whiplash.

Steven Reane, owner and head therapist at StepUp Physical Therapy, will assess your injury and pain symptoms, and then create a customized treatment plan for you. Manual therapy and therapeutic exercises may be utilized. These pump oxygen, blood and nutrients to the injury site and enhance healing. 

Other healing techniques a physical therapist may use to relieve your discomfort are:

• Soft tissue mobilization
• Ice and/or therapy
• Specific exercises and targeted resting positions
• Stretching 
• Aquatic therapy, if available

Contact StepUp PT Today

Every exercise and stretch prescribed by a physical therapist has a specific goal for recovery and improves function and mobility. If you are ready to experience true pain relief from a whiplash injury, StepUp Physical Therapy today to set up an appointment!