You are in a car accident, and your head is violently whipped back and forth. This traumatic movement is something that happens frequently in car accidents. It can also occur when playing sports. In any case, the violent and traumatic head movement can lead to a condition called whiplash. 

Whiplash has been shown to affect about 1 million people annually, and its symptoms don’t always occur right after the traumatic movement of your head occurs. Many patients experience whiplash symptoms that are delayed by anywhere from 24 hours to several weeks or months. What exactly can you do about delayed whiplash symptoms? One option is to seek help from a physical therapist. 

How can a physical therapist help with your delayed whiplash symptoms?

Neck, shoulder and back pain. Headaches. Dizziness, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. These are all common whiplash symptoms, and they’re no less recognizable if they’re delayed. Physical therapists have a lot of experience helping people with these and other whiplash symptoms. Some of the ways they can help with your late-appearing symptoms include: 

1. Correctly identifying their origin — There are plenty of musculoskeletal conditions that have similar symptoms to whiplash. Also, you may not be associating the symptoms you’re feeling now with an incident that happened weeks or months ago. Physical therapists can ask you questions about your condition as part of an initial assessment. These questions can help identify a past car or sports accident as the underlying cause of your current symptoms. Having this information allows your physical therapist to create a more targeted treatment plan. 

2. Addressing your symptoms — You probably just want your whiplash symptoms to feel better. Physical therapists can help you meet this sought-after goal. They can do so by creating a customized treatment plan for your whiplash. Your plan will include techniques designed to reduce pain, ease stiffness and improve physical function, such as: 

• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM).
• Manual therapy.
• Therapeutic exercise programs. 
• The McKenzie Method^®.

3. Preventing them from reappearing — There is always a chance that the symptoms of a traumatic injury like whiplash might pop up again. However, physical therapists can take steps to reduce the risk of this happening. They can help you build up better posture so that the strain on your spine is reduced. Your physical therapist can also see you regularly to ensure that you are maintaining a high level of strength, flexibility and function. If you aren’t, they can take additional steps to help bring these things back up. 

Don’t let delayed whiplash symptoms take over your life! Seek help from Continuum Wellness

Struggling through your days with delayed whiplash symptoms? Our physical therapists at Continuum Wellness are eager to help reduce your symptoms. They can determine how whiplash has affected your neck with a free screening. Then, our physical therapists can assemble a personalized treatment plan for you that can reduce your symptoms and keep them from coming back. 

Contact our team today for more information about our whiplash treatment services or to schedule your initial appointment to begin addressing your symptoms.