Cervical
Whiplash Injury:
Treatment And
Recovery Time
A Personal Letter from Drs. Brenda and Erik Slovin…
Did
You Know?
It takes 2 years for whiplash symptoms to stabilize, and symptoms can
fluctuate dramatically during that 2 year period?
Each and every year, around 3 million Americans suffer whiplash–related
neck and back injuries. If you are among those 3 million, you need to
know that the severity of your symptoms can fluctuate significantly for
several years.
Stats You Need To Know
3 months after a whiplash injury, any prognosis you receive is only a
prediction, as it takes 2 full years for your whiplash-related symptoms
to stabilize.
Therefore,
any accurate determination of your long-term prognosis cannot be made
until that 2 year milestone.
The fact is, during the period between 3 months and 2 years after experiencing
a whiplash, symptoms fluctuate significantly. This fluctuation makes any
prediction of your long-term recovery extremely unreliable.
Case in point, over 60% of whiplash victims report having the same symptom
severity after 7 1/2 years as they suffered 3 months after their injury.
Over
70% report still suffering neck pain and other whiplash-related symptoms
7 1/2 years after a whiplash injury. And over 30% report the severity
of their whiplash-related symptoms increased during the period between
2 years and 7 1/2 years after their injury.
Whiplash Causes More Than Just Physical Pain
Research has proven that the physical symptoms caused by a whiplash injury
are typically accompanied by psychological symptoms.
These
can include memory loss, difficulty in concentrating, nervousness, irritability,
sleep disturbances, anxiety, extreme fatigue and even depression, and
directly relate to the severity of physical symptoms.
Recovery Takes Time And Treatment
A mountain of research confirms that long-term effects can and do appear
in whiplash injuries.
However,
no research exists that shows whiplash-injured patients automatically
heal in just a few weeks, or that they will heal “with or without”
treatment.
Rather,
the symptoms experienced by whiplash-injured patients have been shown
to fluctuate dramatically during a 7 1/2 year period and can range from
severe to mild and back to severe again in a nearly random manner.
The most effective path to recovery is to seek medical treatment within
3 months after a whiplash. After 3 months, whiplash-related symptoms become
more established and more difficult to relieve.
Remember, an active approach to the treatment of a whiplash is far more
effective than bed rest and inactivity. This “do nothing”
strategy actually slows down your recovery and can worsen your pain and
symptoms.
Additionally,
there is nothing to suggest that the use of a cervical collar, or neck
brace, can provide any benefit in your recovery process.
Key
Points To Remember
--> Between 3 months and 2 years following a whiplash, your symptoms
can fluctuate significantly.
--> It takes at least 2 years for whiplash symptoms to stabilize.
--> Your recovery outcome can only be predicted at 3 months and not
confirmed until 2 years after a whiplash.
--> Treatment within 3 months is necessary to prevent whiplash-related
symptoms from becoming established and long-term.
..............................................................
Slovin Chiropractic Center
205 Main Avenue, Norwalk CT, 06851
Phone: 203-840-0000
Copyright © 2001-2006 All Rights Reserved
Privacy Policy | Anti-Spam
Policy
..............................................................
|