Services

Acute Whiplash

Can be a particularly distressing condition as a patient experiences a sudden hyper-flexion and/or hyper-extension strain which can take the neck vertebrae and their attaching ligaments beyond their normal range of movement.  Micro tears can occur at the ligament insertion point on the vertebra and local muscles can spasm in response to the velocity changes.

Special care is taken when examining and treating whiplash cases.  Healing times for an acute whiplash may be longer than for a mechanical neck pain problem, due to the ligament damage.

We often treat acute whiplash with spinal adjustments/manipulation, soft tissue therapy (massage, manual or mechanical), dry needling (a form of acupuncture – see our ‘News’ page for more on Dry Needling) and rehabilitation.  Sometimes using a cervical collar is required for the stabilization of the neck during the treatment and healing process.

The spine

The spine plays a key role in protecting an essential part of the nervous system. In addition to helping keep us upright, the most critical function of the spinal column is to encase and protect the spinal cord and the multitude of nerve roots.

As the spinal cord descends from the brain, ‘nerve roots’ branch away from the spinal cord at each vertebral level, exiting through an opening in the respective vertebrae, before leading off to the various organs and other parts the body.

When there is an interference or irritation to a nerve, the messages or nerve impulses
travelling along that nerve can get interrupted or confused.

Some signals become only slightly altered, while others may completely fail to reach their destination. Such interference or irritation can easily be seen to occur when one or more of the vertebrae are even just slightly out of alignment. Also the misalignment of any other bones in the body can result in discomfort and/or malfunction.

chiropractic treating back

Our Chiropractors

Many Chiropractors refer to these misalignments as subluxations. Chiropractors are specifically trained to help correct subluxations and improve general biomechanical function of the spine and extremities. The result is to permit optimal function of a body’s nervous system function, reduce or eliminate pain and restore the health of the patient.

Many chiropractors refer to their treatments as adjustments, or manipulations, emphasising the specific nature of the procedure.

  • We live our lives largely through an efficiently functioning nervous system – it is the master
    system and controller of our bodies
  • Through good Chiropractic care we can optimise our well-being