When you've hurt yourself and believe that you're dealing with the symptoms of whiplash — neck pain, limited range of motion and headaches — one of your first priorities should be to schedule a visit with your local chiropractor. Whiplash injuries can get worse if they're not professionally treated, so you'll want to take advantage of this health practitioner's care as soon as you can get an appointment. In the hours or days leading up to the appointment, it's ideal to take some careful steps to avoid worsening your pain. Here are some things that you'll want to do.
Limit Any Rough Activities
Rough movements will definitely increase your pain and could also make the injury worse, requiring more chiropractic adjustments. Try to think of anything that you might do that may be rough, and do what you can to limit it. If you play sports, you'll want to avoid doing so; you may even wish to lessen the amount that you walk if you find that walking creates a jarring impact that worsens the discomfort. If possible, it's also best to avoid driving or riding in a vehicle. Starting and stopping suddenly — the latter can be because of a bad driver in front of you — is likely to exacerbate the pain.
Move As Slowly As Possible
If you've ever watched a nature documentary and been amused at the slow movements of the sloth, you'll want to essentially mimic these motions. Try to move as slowly as possible; doing so can take a period of adjustment, but is less likely to worsen your whiplash injury. You might be in a habit of turning your head quickly when your child calls your name, for example, but it's important to try to slow everything down. Instead of jerking your head around, try instead to turn your entire body in the child's direction — and do so as slowly and smoothly as possible.
Try To Avoid Long Stretches Of Sitting
Dealing with a whiplash injury can be challenging because it might be painful to walk, and you should also try to limit your sitting. While it's acceptable to sit if you're doing so in a correct, upright position, the issue is that many people use poor seated posture. Whether you're at a computer or watching TV, it's easy to allow your back and neck to slouch. When you do so, your neck will likely be put into an unhealthy position, which can quickly increase your pain and worsen the whiplash injury.
For more information, contact a chiropractor at a location like TLC Chiropractic.
