WHIPLASH PART 5: CO-MANAGEMENT
If you should suffer a whiplash injury here in Sheboygan Wisconsin, the good news is that the chances of permanent injury are low, the bad news is that they are hard to predict. So if things aren’t shaking out well after four to six weeks of Chiropractic care, what should you do next?
It depends on whether the problem has gotten better in the short term but hit a wall in recovery or if the problem didn’t respond at all. If we exhausted our toolkit of Chiropractic adjustments, electric muscle stimulation, ultrasound therapy, home or assisted exercises, kinesiotaping, and active release technique and the problem and the problem didn’t change, then it is time to see either a neurologist or orthopedic surgeon, depending on which set of advanced testing would be most appropriate for the specific injury in question. Much more common and perhaps even more frustrating is when safe and gentle conservative care helps in the short-term, but is unable to achieve pre-injury status.
This can be psychologically devastating, trapping a victim in a cycle where each morning is a surprise whether it will be a good day or a bad day. A 2001 study cited below revealed a high prevalence in post-traumatic stress, chronic anxiety, distress, and phobias following motor vehicle collisions. If Chiropractic is providing some relief, we advise keeping it in the plan, but also referring out to Physical Therapy, Medical, or mental health co-management once diagnostic testing has exhausted hope of finding a more specific answer to the slow recovery. It is important to not give up on reaching pre-injury status, as I have successfully treated cases where it took a full year to reach complete healing after a car accident.
Mayou, R. Impact of Car Accidents Can Be Long-Lasting. American Journal of Psychiatry, Aug 2001.
-Dr. Russell Petersen, DC. Creekside Chiropractic & Rehabilitation, 4027 S. Business Drive, Sheboygan, Wisconsin.