One of the biggest causes of neck pain is car accidents

Typically after an accident the body is full of adrenalin so pain is numbed and it feels as if nothing is wrong.  However 36 hours later most patients feel they need to seek medical help.  Commonly they say things like “I’m burning all over and aching in my neck.”   The patients are told that it’s “whiplash.”

Although people are often told that they have whiplash, there is no official medical condition as whiplash. It is merely a commonly used name for neck injuries sustained during a rear end collision arising from the sudden, snap-like movements of the body moving forward and then back quickly, like a cracking whip.

This quick motion results in  ligament injuries to the neck but when the patient tries to make a claim, it is generally denied because whiplash is not on the approved list of conditions!

Whiplash, being a non-medical term, can cause confusion with patients yet the name stubbornly persists even though it is not officially recognised.

There are also a few factors that contribute to the injury.

The main one is the position upon impact. The impact might have been a total surprise or, if the patient saw it coming, they went into a “brace” position. The immediate reaction is to contract the body when impact occurs, if the patient can see a collision is imminent.

Our experience 

Patients with neck trauma develop sleeping problems from having soft tissue injuries for too long.

Patients need to be made aware that they have soft tissue injuries and most likely have ligament tears.

It’s important to note that if all a patient does is have hot showers, no massage and maintains good posture, they might not even need laser treatment to return to normal within 3 months.

It is the collection of inflammatory fluid, and thus the swelling, that causes the chronic pain problem.  If you have a broken leg you should eventually heal, but dealing with the vicious cycle of inflammation in the neck can be much more difficult.

While there is no medical condition such as whiplash, the associated pain caused by inflammation is very real and very predictable.   All of these types of injuries can be resolved in the acute stage, when there is the understanding that acute pain will become chronic pain if not treated correctly.

Other causes of neck pain

These days the use of computers and long hours sitting at a desk at work can also result in neck pain, and has become one of the more common causes of GP consultations.

Many sufferers put up with their pain for years, only ever finding short-term solutions in the form of massage, acupuncture, osteopathy, physiotherapy and chiropractic.

Neck pain is usually suffered as a large, broadband region of pain, but in our experience the actual site of the initial and recurring injury is normally a microscopic soft tissue tear or strain.

The low level laser therapy allows us to treat these soft tissue injuries at cellular level. Providing a clear understanding of the actual cause of the neck pain makes the whole situation much less distressing for the patient.

What patients tell us

After commencing treatment patients often report they feel better and importantly, their sleep improves.

They also feel a sense of understanding about what has been happening.   It is empowering for them to feel in control and to experience improvement every day as the benefits of laser treatment becomes evident.

Here is how Cold Laser Pain Relief can help:

During your initial consultation,  extensive history taking allows us to determine the underlying cause of your Neck Pain, and we can then design your specific treatment protocol.

Treatment for Neck Pain is available at the Cold Laser Pain Relief clinic in Walkerville, Adelaide.  We have been applying Cold Laser Therapy here in Adelaide since it was used effectively on our founder in 1998.

Contact us today to make an appointment to review your personal condition.

You don’t need a referral, just fill out the contact form.

For more information, simply fill in the form below and we'll contact you to organise a no-obligation consultation...

    Name (required)

    Phone (required)

    Email (required)

    Type of Enquiry

    Enquiry

    Verification

    captcha