Quick Answer: Why Would You See An Orthopedist For Whiplash?

Should I see an orthopedic doctor for whiplash?

Healing Your Neck After Whiplash in Central California You should see a doctor immediately if you have experienced a whiplash injury in order to prevent further complications. A Dignity Health Central California orthopedic doctor can diagnose your whiplash symptoms with expertise and humankindness.

What can an orthopedic doctor do for neck pain?

After the cause of your neck pain has been established, your orthopedist will recommend a course of treatment that may include:

• Rest.
• Medication.
• Immobilization.
• Physical therapy and exercise.
• Surgery.

Can doctors do anything for whiplash?

The treatments for whiplash are relatively simple. Doctors will often prescribe an OTC pain medication like Tylenol or aspirin. More severe injuries may require prescription painkillers and muscle relaxants to reduce muscle spasms. In addition to medication, physical therapy plays a crucial role in recovery.

What is the best treatment for whiplash?

What’s the Treatment for Whiplash?

• Ice your neck to reduce pain and swelling as soon as you can after the injury.
• Take painkillers or other drugs, if recommended by your doctor.
• Use a neck brace or collar to add support, if your doctor recommends it.

What happens if you leave whiplash untreated?

Whiplash is no different. Like most other injuries, serious side effects can occur when left untreated: Stiffness and loss of motion. As well as the chronic neck pain and stiffness, untreated whiplash can even lead to degenerative disc disease and vertebrae misalignment.

Does Whiplash show up on MRI?

The difficulty with diagnosing whiplash is that it does not really show up on an X-ray, CT scan or an MRI scan. The diagnosis is usually made by asking the patient how they feel and then proceeding from there.

Should I see a neurologist or orthopedist for neck pain?

If you do not have any emergency symptoms, schedule a visit with your primary care physician, an orthopedist, or a neurologist. An orthopedist is a doctor who specializes in musculoskeletal conditions, including those that affect the spine. A neurologist is a doctor who specializes in nerve conditions.

Should I see an orthopedic doctor for neck pain?

While neck pain often results from less-serious conditions such as slouching or dehydration, there are a number of serious medical conditions that can cause neck pain as well. If you’re experiencing serious neck pain, you may want to consider seeing a spine specialist at the Orthopedic Institute.

What does a neurologist do for neck pain?

Every back pain and neck pain patient is unique, with different degrees of problems associated with a bone or disc abnormality. A neurologist is trained to discover the causes of symptoms, as well as using EMG testing to assess the injury to nerves and whether it is reversible in the short and long term.

At what speed does whiplash occur?

Whilst whiplash can be sustained in both low speed (up to 5 MPH) and moderate to high speed collisions, it is likely that in moderate to high speed collisions additional injuries such as broken bones, head injuries and concussion may also be sustained.

Is Whiplash a serious injury?

Whiplash occurs when an accident whips the head and neck abruptly back and forth, damaging the soft tissues of the neck. Whiplash can be an incredibly serious injury with symptoms such as chronic pain and immobility.

What does whiplash look like on MRI?

Some findings in MRI studies of patients with whiplash -associated disorders are ^1,6,7,8: loss of lordosis. prevertebral edema. ligamentous injury, most often the alar and the transverse ligaments, that may be thicker and with signal alteration, which represents swelling and edema.

Where do you feel whiplash pain?

Loss of range of motion in the neck. Headaches, most often starting at the base of the skull. Tenderness or pain in the shoulder, upper back or arms.

What is the fastest way to recover from whiplash?

Either heat or cold applied to the neck for 15 minutes every three hours or so can help you feel better. Over-the-counter pain medications. Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), often can control mild to moderate whiplash pain.

How long does it take for whiplash to heal?

When your injuries are minor and limited to the soft tissues, they may heal on their own within about 6-10 weeks. The stress on your tissues, however, may create other subluxations (misalignments) in your spine.