Urgent Care for Whiplash: Tips, Recovery, Reduce Pain

A serious stress is applied to a neck by jerking back and forth within a second. As a result, the neck is damaged causing a whiplash. Moreover, it is not necessarily associated with a car accident. In fact, any damage triggering a neck strain can be named whiplash. To be more detailed, the ligaments and muscles holding a head are stretched causing an unbearable pain upon a regular position of a neck.

How to Distinguish Whiplash From Other Neck Damage?

When you know the diagnosis, you are likely to know how to cure an injury. Naturally, to make a proper termed diagnosis it is recommended to address to an urgent care service like Agurgent Care or another medical facility. At the same time, whiplash has the peculiar features that distinguish it from the other possible damages.

First of all, a person will feel an acute pain by attempting to move the head. Besides, the movement range will be limited. The neck muscles will feel hard. A headache is possible. Moreover, if you had experienced an accident or some other external exposure, you might not sense immediately the consequences represented by the pain. Sometimes they can be delayed for a couple of hours.

It should be noted also that a whiplash is accompanied often by a concussion. Anyway, an emergency medical care is what you need in case of an accident.

What Actions Will Reduce the Whiplash Pain?

There are several ways to smoothen the ache in your neck caused by a whiplash. Of course, it is better to follow the physician’s recommendations but sometimes time presses.

Since the function of the neck ligaments and sinew is the support of the head, you need to take off the load. A neck brace is a proper tool to control your head position without straining your musculature. At the same time, this kind of support is not recommended to use for a long time since it can slacken the muscles.

The next pain-relieving action is cooling. You may take a pack of ice or any cold item and apply it to the neck. This measure can be taken several times a day with a duration of not more than 20 minutes at a time.

Be careful with any kind of painkillers and try to avoid them without a recommendation by a physician. These drugs may be both effective and hazardous.

Good for you if you have a decent masseur. A professional massage therapist can improve the condition of your injured neck.

Recovery Time

As a rule, a regular whiplash vanishes in a few days. However, a severity of an injury may lead to a longer recovery period. Besides, the body properties should be considered either since some people need more time to get better.

It is essential not to make haste with a rehabilitation. A medical specialist will give you the exact instructions when you can load your muscles and what exercises to do for the improvement of their state. Be patient and increase strain gradually.

Preventive Measures

The best way to cure a whiplash is to avoid it. Naturally, you will not wear a protective helmet and collar all the time because it is impossible to foresee an accident. And according to the statistics, a plumping majority of neck injuries are the result of an external physical action. So, are there any preventive measures at all? They are, in fact.

A body of a Formula 1 racer experiences the heavy loads during the race. However, they do not need a rehabilitation time to heal the body. Their solution is a regular training. Indeed, a trained and prepared body will endure the excess load much easier. If you have ever visited a gym, recall the next two days after the workout session. The muscles ache because of the unaccustomed load.

So, your neck musculature may be prepared and release you from the annoyance associated with a whiplash. The office workers and other people spending a lot of time in a sitting position should especially consider this recommendation. Make sure to have the regular pauses to stretch your neck.

Besides, it is not necessary to go out to train your neck muscles. There is a number of home exercises to apply a sufficient load and strengthen the muscular tissue.

Bottom Line

There is no doubt that many things in our lives are not under our control. Nevertheless, it does not mean that we should fold hands and wait for the better times. There are multiple examples when people make unbelievable things with their bodies. So, take exercises and be careful in your activities.