Whiplash

Whiplash Injury

Miss X, a thirty six year old cleaning supervisor arrived at her local Chiropractic Clinic on 12 August 2003 complaining of neck and top of shoulder pains as well as headaches to the back, sides and front of the skull. She described the pain as tense and seized-up in the neck and shoulders with constant dull headache which sometimes woke her up in the early hours of the morning. The symptoms began August 2003 after a road traffic accident when she was hit from behind. Further questioning into the patient's history revealed no other pertinent problems.

An examination of the neck and upper back was performed checking reflexes, muscle strength and movements. This revealed tight muscles and joints especially at the base of the skull and top of shoulders in line with the spine. This is typical of a whiplash-type injury with the head forced forward and backward which stretches and compresses joint and muscle in the neck. Symptoms do not always occur immediately after the road traffic accident; they sometimes take many months to show themselves with the type of pains this patient suffered.

The patient has been treated using chiropractic manipulation and muscle techniques, advice on how to use ice packs to decrease pain as well as specific exercises when the patient showed enough improvement to do them.

She felt "much better" by the second treatment and has gradually improved with a total of nine treatments.