Whiplash recovery medical advice

Medical advice on whiplash recovery

GPs are now more likely to advise a whiplash victim that exercise for the neck is a good way of getting over the injury, reducing pain and reducing the chances of the lay-off being protracted.

Those suffering whiplash injuries often resist moving the neck too much in the days following the accident. There is an understandable reluctance to move it for fear of aggravating the injury and increasing the pain but unless the neck is so painful, some exercise could be attempted.

Some ideas common to most whiplash injuries treatments include neck stretching which moves the neck in all directions, trying to avoid jerky movements, just slowly moving the head in one direction and then turning it in the opposite direction. The shoulders can be stretched by moving the arms, circling them one at a time backwards and forwards and also shrugging the shoulders while breathing in and relaxing them while breathing out.

Gentle exercises stretch the tight muscles and joint and prevent them from seizing up and getting stiff. Though it may be hard in the first couple of days, regular exercise for the neck will soon reduce the pain.

The aim in neck strengthening is to work the neck muscles without actually moving the head. This can be done by putting your hand on the side of your head and then apply increasing pressure which will make the muscles contract.Finally neck coordination will enable a person to help control their neck muscles and movements.

How much or how little neck is largely due to the person themselves but in many whiplash cases some relatively gentle neck exercise can soon be tried. There are a number of relatively straightforward exercises that can be done almost straight away. One is where the person is sitting, straight backed, and slowly turns their head first to the left and then to the right, slowly as if a book was balanced on top of the head. Another exercise is one to be done lying on the floor with feet flat and knees bent. Then the shoulder blades should be shrugged down and the head turned first to the right and then to the left as if pinning the ear to the floor.

Another, to help both the neck and the shoulder, can be done by rolling the shoulders back, moving the joint back two or three times. This can be done either by moving both shoulders at the same time or separately, whichever is easier.

Finally neck coordination will enable a person to help control their neck muscles and movements

Any one who believes that they are suffering with whiplash injuries should seek medical attention as soon as possible.