How to Tell If You Have Whiplash After a Car Crash

Whiplash After a Car Crash

Post-car crash, you’re lucky if you’re able to walk out unscathed. But what may seem like total
luck may not feel so lucky a few days later if you start to experience the symptoms of whiplash,
an injury that doesn’t often make itself known until hours or days following a traumatic incident
like an auto accident.

Are you recovering from a car accident and struggling to decipher if the side effects you’re
experiencing are from whiplash or another common car accident injury?

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to tell if you are experiencing whiplash after a car crash so you can
determine whether you need to take another trip to the chiropractor’s office for treatment.

Up first is a commonly reported feeling of feeling “stuck” around the head and neck.

Your Head Feels “Stuck”

One of the first signs of whiplash after a car crash is immobility around the head, neck, and shoulders. If you find
that you can’t move your head from side to side as if to say no, it may be a sign of whiplash.

This “stuck” feeling happens due to a strain or sprain in the ligaments, tendons, and muscles of
the neck. The sudden force of a car crash can move the vertebrae in your neck out of alignment
and lead to this pain.

Your Head Is Pounding or You Have Trouble Focusing

Dealing with migraines out of the blue or having trouble staying focused in class, during
meetings, or while studying? These can both be signs of whiplash after a car crash.

Most cases of whiplash are coupled with a concussion, which is essentially a bruised brain. You
don’t have to lose consciousness completely to sustain a concussion, which can make people
feel a false sense of confidence that they’re completely unscathed after a car wreck in the
Tampa Bay area.

Look out for other symptoms of a concussion, like memory challenges, personality changes,
dizziness, irritability, or sudden insomnia. If you have any of these symptoms, see an auto accident chiropractor as soon as possible.

Your Ears Are Ringing

Tinnitus can be a common sign of nerve or other brain damage sustained during a car accident.
If you’re experiencing a ringing in the ears, don’t let it go untreated. This is a typical hallmark of
whiplash that your doctor can help treat.

Chewing or Swallowing is Painful

If you find it hard to chew or swallow without pain, it’s likely pointing to a hyperextension of
the jaw and neck that is a common side effect of whiplash. The jaw can continue to tighten up if
left untreated, so it’s important to see your St. Petersburg chiropractor as soon as you can.

Your Body Hurts, Tingles, or Is Numb

Are you experiencing any unexplained body pains, tingles, or numbness? If anything feels out of
sorts and especially if you’re experiencing tingles or numbness in your extremities, see a doctor. This could be pointing to a pinched or damaged nerve that your chiropractor can correct.

Whiplash Relief from Sea Change Chiropractic

You don’t have to suffer through the side effects and symptoms of whiplash after a car crash. If you’re
experiencing one or more of the above signs, it’s a good idea to call our front desk at Sea
Change Chiropractic
in St. Petersburg, FL, to schedule an appointment with one of our car
accident chiropractors. We can give you a proper evaluation and get you on the fast track to
recovery.

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