1,500 whiplash cases are made very day in the UK, costing the insurance companies around £2 billion every year (BBC). And we wonder why our car insurance costs so much! If you have ever suffered from whiplash you will know just how painful and debilitating it can be. It can manifest itself as neck and shoulder pain, but often the lower back is implicated as well.
The pain, tightness and stiffness is usually caused by the big powerful muscles of the neck and the back locking the spine and remaining in a state of hypertonicity (where the muscle struggles to relax).
The physiotherapy that follows such types of pain usually focuses entirely on the release of these tight muscles or spinal joints, and in many cases this does the job within a couple of sessions, with some simple exercises to supplement.
However, we we some cases which drag on more that a few weeks, and if your pain continues over months rather than weeks, there is usually more that can be done. Your physiotherapist should always be working out exactly why the muscles are struggling to relax, and changing your treatment strategy if simple release is not working. Muscle groups can get weak and often without addressing the issue these muscles, the pain will prolong and drag over months or even years instead of the days or weeks that it should take.
The main problem with whiplash is that the longer your symptoms drag on, the harder it is to resolve the symptoms, and quickly your pain can spiral out of control. The area can become hypersensitve around the neck or back, or restricting range of movement with a much greater difficulty to improve, resulting in more permanent stiffness or pain.
If your whiplash pain is lasting months instead of weeks, your physiotherapist is likely missing a crucial piece of information that would help solve the puzzle. Don't let your pain drag out, make sure you see a physiotherapist that can quickly identify ALL of the problems, and address them at once, instead of letting you suffer longer than you have to.
Use the special code AZZURROWHIPLASH when booking, call 07597 151 809, or contact info@azzurrotraining.com to receive £10 off your first session for all whiplash cases, and let me find a better, faster solution to your pain. I strive to see people within 1 working day of contact.