How Long Does Whiplash Take to Heal in Chicago?
If your head has moved backward or forwards during a car accident, you probably have whiplash. The rapid jerking motion can damage ligaments, muscles, nerves, or discs in the neck. It is also possible for a small vessel in the neck to rupture, creating swelling. You may have noticed symptoms immediately after your car accident injury, or they may have appeared hours later. Now, however, he is suffering from whiplash and wants to know how long it will last.
Learn the details.
How long do whiplash symptoms last in Chicago?
If you have whiplash, the symptoms may go away after a few days, as they do for most people. However, if your neck has been severely shaken, it may take three months to completely get rid of the symptoms.
Unfortunately, some people have persistent pain after whiplash. This pain can last a year or more. The effects of whiplash are more likely to linger if you meet certain criteria.
First, if your pain is severe immediately after the car accident, the pain is more likely to linger for a year or more. Also, if memory loss or other neurological symptoms accompany your whiplash, it’s more likely to stick around for a year or more. Lastly, if the pain also spreads to the fingers or arms, the symptoms are likely to last for more than a few months.
Whiplash Recovery in Chicago
Fortunately, you don’t have to suffer from whiplash symptoms. You can undergo treatment to speed up the healing process. This makes symptoms less likely to last for months or longer. That means you’ll be able to get back to your normal activities much sooner.
Loosening tight muscles is important in treating whiplash. Tight muscles reduce range of motion and also cause pain. Your doctor may prescribe muscle relaxants and instruct you to take anti-inflammatories and apply heat at home. He or she will likely tell you to avoid ice, as it can further strain your muscles.
Your car accident doctor will likely send you for physical therapy as well. Your physical therapist will use exercises to increase your range of motion while reducing pain. In addition to doing the exercises in the office, the therapist will ask you to do some exercises at home. You’ll need to do these several times a week for optimal results.
Although you may feel a little sore when you start doing these exercises, you will notice that your range of motion increases and the pain decreases over time. The exercises will be easier to do and you will feel a little better each day.
Get help for whiplash in Chicago
If you have whiplash, you may think the symptoms will go away on their own, so treat yourself at home. Warmth and rest may relieve symptoms if the condition is mild, but most people respond well to whiplash treatment. Treatment can reduce the severity of your symptoms and help your neck heal more quickly. Visit a Chicago car accident doctor for evaluation and treatment. Then you can finally put those painful symptoms in the rearview mirror.
If you have questions or would like to meet with one of our doctors, please contact our chiropractors in Chicago to get the appropriate treatment for you. Call or contact us today to schedule an appointment.
