What is the most effective whiplash treatment?
Let’s start by defining whiplash as a neck injury that happens as a result of sudden forceful back and forth movement of the neck or acceleration–deceleration mechanism of energy transfer to the neck. Usually due to a car accident, direct trauma and sports related situations. Although unusual, it’s not impossible to come across someone that got extra excited during a heavy metal concert, I won’t mention any names.
In some cases, Whiplash symptoms can sort themselves out after a few days and although this might be the case it is not advised to underestimate it or leave it untreated as it might develop into a chronic problem.
Some of the symptoms experienced in whiplash are:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Lack of movement / limited movement of the neck / Painful movement of the neck
- Headache / migraine
- Pain or tingling down the arms
- Difficulty sleeping / anxiety
- Dizziness
- Ear pain / ear ringing
- TMJ disorder symptoms
- Fatigue / Depression
Seek treatment if you are experiencing any of the above.
The Quebec Task Force classifies patients with whiplash, based on the severity of signs and symptoms, as follows:
- Grade 0: No complaints about the neck. No physical sign(s).
- Grade I: Neck complaint of pain, stiffness or tenderness only. No physical sign(s).
- Grade II: Neck complaint AND musculoskeletal sign(s). Musculoskeletal signs include decreased range of motion and point tenderness.
- Grade III: Neck complaint AND neurological sign(s). Neurological signs include decreased range of motion and point tenderness.
- Grade IV: Neck complaint AND fracture or dislocation.
Although the presentation will be different on each person and the treatment plan and prognosis might vary independently of the Grade of severity, Grades 0 to III can be treated in our clinic.
Grade IV will also require soft tissue release treatment once the fracture has stabilised.
Now that we covered what Whiplash is, the main causes, symptoms and grades of severity, the next question is,
What is the best treatment method to deal with Whiplash?
After seeing your doctor and having ruled out any fracture, bulging disc or dislocation, the soft tissue needs treating both to address the symptoms and to prevent the issue from developing into a chronic presentation.
The number of treatment required will depend on each individual presentation and progress through the treatment plan.
The best treatment method to address the soft tissue in the treatable grades of Whiplash is Myofascial release therapy. This treatment method is both clinical, effective and gentle enough to approach what will be a vulnerable or injured area as well as provide effective treatment in later stages of the treatment process.
In our clinic, the myofascial release therapist is highly qualified and has knowledge about the presentation, the structures involved and the skillset to treat the symptoms effectively through the different treatment stages. At our clinic we combine these Myofascial release techniques with Trigger Point work when appropriate, increasing the specificity of the treatment and increasing therefore the effectiveness of the treatment.
While conventional massage techniques are broad, myofascial release and trigger point work can be both broad and very specific which makes this approach more indicated for the treatment of clinical conditions like whiplash where very specific work needs done, in this case to the neck. As we mentioned above myofascial release can also be a gentle yet effective technique, which is also needed when approaching a hyper sensitive neck.
For all of these reasons a combined approach of Myofascial release and Trigger Point work is the most effective way to relieve whiplash symptoms.
After seeing your doctor and having ruled out any fracture, bulging disc or dislocation, the soft tissue needs treating both to address the symptoms and to prevent the issue from developing into a chronic presentation.
The number of treatment required will depend on each individual presentation and progress through the treatment plan.
The best treatment method to address the soft tissue in the treatable grades of Whiplash is Myofascial release therapy. This treatment method is both clinical, effective and gentle enough to approach what will be a vulnerable or injured area as well as provide effective treatment in later stages of the treatment process.
In our clinic, the myofascial release therapist is highly qualified and has knowledge about the presentation, the structures involved and the skillset to treat the symptoms effectively through the different treatment stages. At our clinic we combine these Myofascial release techniques with Trigger Point work when appropriate, increasing the specificity of the treatment and increasing therefore the effectiveness of the treatment.
While conventional massage techniques are broad, myofascial release and trigger point work can be both broad and very specific which makes this approach more indicated for the treatment of clinical conditions like whiplash where very specific work needs done, in this case to the neck. As we mentioned above myofascial release can also be a gentle yet effective technique, which is also needed when approaching a hyper sensitive neck.
For all of these reasons a combined approach of Myofascial release and Trigger Point work is the most effective way to relieve whiplash symptoms.