Understanding Whiplash

The first thing to understand is that you may have the symptoms of a whiplash injury without having tissue damage. The pain, weakness of the neck, or dizziness of a whiplash injury often result entirely from muscle-spasms -- spasms that can usually be ended fairly quickly with the right methods. If symptoms have persisted long after tissue should have healed (according to your doctor), you probably have muscular spasticity.

That said, let me explain some things about whiplash injuries. At the time of your accident, muscles in your neck went into contraction to protect you against injury. When your head and neck were suddenly and violently thrown back and forth, a protective reflex, called the "stretch reflex" (or myotatic reflex, the clinical term) tightened the muscles of the neck to prevent excessive motion, which might otherwise have fractured your neck and damaged your spinal cord. So, those muscular contractions braced you quickly and automatically to protect you.

In the process, the incident galvanized your whole neuromuscular system into a heightened state of arousal; the shock of the incident created a vivid impression of an emergency situation in you -- a shock to your system. Shocks to the system tend to make lasting impressions on memory. Even though the incident was momentary, the memory persisted, and along with it, the protective, reflexive reaction. Suddenly a tension habit was formed.

Within minutes, in many cases of whiplash injury, neck muscles are fatigued and sore. That soreness, felt as neck pain, may have convinced you that you were injured, leading you to guard against head movement to prevent further pain. Guarding leads to further tension, tension leads to pain, and pain leads to a diagnosis of a whiplash injury.

Tension also leads to muscle fatigue, and muscle fatigue feels like muscle weakness.

As incidents of injury usually come from one side or the other, muscles are affected unequally. Unequal muscular tension (more tension on one side than the other) moves vertebrae more to one side: spinal misalignment. Loss of spinal alignment leads to distorted head movement and to unbalanced head position. The combination of distorted head movement and unbalanced head position send distorted sensations from the balance centers of the inner ears to the balance centers of the brain. You might feel dizzy, tight, and sore -- all from the shock of an injury causing muscles to tighten.

The same muscular tension also pulls the vertebrae of your neck closer together, making your neck shorter, thicker, and stiffer. Pressure on the discs increases, sometimes leading to disc bulges, disc degeneration and sometimes, to pinched nerves, with pain and numbness down the arms, possibly into the hands.

Bode Chiropractic has been working with whiplash victimsfor the last 12 years in the Tampa Bay area, and has earned a reputation as one of the leading doctors treating this condition. By reducing inflamation, incorporating integrative therapies, and boosting the body's ability to heal, you can be sure Bode Chiropractic is the best place to eliminate your pain and rehabilitate your injuries.

Go to Dr Garrett Bode's website http://www.bodespinalcenter.com/ or see our latest press release (Click Here). [Chiropractor oldsmar], Chiropractic Tampa, 33635, Chiropractors Tampa, Bode Chiropractic Accident & Wellness Center, Oldsmar, 33635, Neck Pain, Low Back Pain, Automobile Accidents, Headaches. Link Link http://fl.local.yahoo.biz/chiropractortampa/

How To Choose A Chiropractor

Most of us don't know how to find a good chiropractor. Generally, when we are looking for a doctor, we just open up the yellow pages and let our fingers do the walking. Sometimes, we may ask our friends, family or co-workers for a recommendation, but face it, what works for them may not work for you. Finding a good chiropractor can be a very difficult decision, because this is a profession with an unusually wide variety of techniques and philosophies. Here are some tips on how to find a competent chiropractor best suited for you as an individual.

Do a phone interview. Take time out to interview your prospective chiropractor. If the doctor is not available when you call, then arrange a time when you can speak to the doctor. Take note of the doctors communication skills, he should be comfortable to speak with and eager to answer your questions. You may want to ask:

What the doctor's feelings are about how chiropractics differ from other health professions? What does the doctor see as his responsibility when performing a competent diagnosis?

How does the doctor feel about referring patients to other specialists?

What kind of techniques does this doctor offer?

What kind of experiences has he had with other patients with similar conditions to you?

What are the doctor's fees or does the doctor take your insurance, or in case you have an HMO, do you need a referral?

What is doctor's location and what are his hours of operation?

Avoid a chiropractor who: Considers his profession as being opposed to the medical profession. Denies responsibility to diagnose and refer patients in a good manner.

Tries to sell you on his "miracle cures" or any other technique that only he knows how to do or has learned in some "school of thought."

Insists you have x-rays done as a routine or requirement, or insist on having an EMG scan or other expensive test that is often not necessary.

Uses scare tactics or if he sounds like he's making a sales pitch on you.

Has a dirty, littered or foul smell in his office.

Cold calls you to announce their presence in your area and tries to make you a free appointment.

All depending on the seriousness or extremity of your condition, you may need to see the chiropractor several times before your condition can be relieved. This is a good reason to choose a chiropractor that works within a reasonable driving distance with hours that suit your schedule. It's important to have a chiropractor that you can rely on to get into fairly quickly without having to wait a month or so to get in.

On your first visit to the office, what is your general impression? Any doctor's office should have a clean and professional appearance. The office staff should be able to treat you with the courtesy, respect and professionalism that are expected of a medical establishment. Many offices require you to fill out forms about your general medical history and the problem that brought you to them for the doctor to review with you during a private interview. You should be able to discuss your problem in detail, followed by having vital signs taken, and a number of other neurological and orthopedic tests. You should also have an analysis of your musculoskeletal system functions and structure, to determine if your problem is within the scope of chiropractics. If the doctor insists that other laboratory tests are necessary, ask why. He should be able to provide a clear and concise explanation that makes sense and that is easy for you to understand. The doctor should be able to explain your problem, treatment options and customize a treatment plan that you are able to understand. If he is unable to do this, then he is not the right doctor for you.

The length of treatment varies with each individual. Although your condition may resemble your best friends, it does not mean you will heal as quickly as she did. Everyone's musculoskeletal system is different and responds differently to treatment. This is why it's important to do your own research and interviews before settling with a chiropractor. Never let anyone pressure you into seeing a particular doctor.

This article was published at http://wwwarticlebase.com/

Go to Dr Garrett Bode's website http://www.bodespinalcenter.com/ or see our latest press release (Click Here). [Chiropractor oldsmar], Chiropractic Tampa, 33635, Chiropractors Tampa, Bode Chiropractic Accident & Wellness Center, Oldsmar, 33635, Neck Pain, Low Back Pain, Automobile Accidents, Headaches. Link Link http://fl.local.yahoo.biz/chiropractortampa/