Immediate treatment for whiplash - physician heal thyself

Car crashes happen all the time and whiplash is the most common resulting injury, but what can you do yourself immediately after an accident occurs? It may take some time to arrange X-rays, for a GP to refer you or to get to a chiropractor or osteopath. Read more about whiplash diagnosis and treatments.

Although you should always seek professional medical advice first, some people feel that they benefit from these quick and easy suggestions.

Step 1: Reducing pain

What you may feel first of all after a car accident is pain and stiffness in your neck, if your neck can move at all and you still have some degree of movement and flexibility, that is.

Painkillers will help but you don't have to stock your body with anti-inflammatory pills to get rid of the pain and swelling. Soothing cold packs which you can buy from natural therapy stores are equally helpful, along with a hot bath of lavender. The two combined can work a treat. Alternatively, you can try the traditional version to reduce swelling: an ice pack or packet of frozen peas.

But remember, don't apply ice directly to the skin; wrap cold material in a towel first and apply for 30 minutes at a time only.

Step 2: Maintaining movement and flexibility

There are various schools of thought about whether you should put your neck in some kind of supportive structure while recovering from whiplash after a car accident. Some doctors believe you should move carefully and allow the neck time to recover, while avoiding excessive strain and sudden jerky movements.

However, many other therapists and practitioners believe you should keep the body and neck moving and not give it time to stiffen. Gently carrying out neck movements on a daily basis, similar to those found in yoga, keeps the neck supple and retrains the muscles. Yoga, Pilates and the Alexander technique can also help.

Those having regular chiropractic or osteopathic treatments may find that after a while they can create their own neck adjustments (including moving the vertebrae) just by maintaining a daily personal exercise regime, because regular movements make the neck more flexible.

Step 3: Be kind to your neck

If your neck is feeling a little strained, be kind to it. Make sure you are using a comfortable pillow at night and consider buying another if your neck feels worse after a 'good night's sleep'.

Some practitioners and bed product manufacturing companies promote orthopaedic mattresses for back and neck complaints. They believe that a mattress cover that moulds to your spine and neck is more supportive and helps the body to recover more quickly.

Step 4: Think about the chairs you sit in

If you drive regularly or use a hard chair at home or at work, you can buy orthopaedic cushions for chairs, drivers' seats and wheelchairs. A range of products can be seen at www.physiosupplies.com. To keep your body as upright as possible, you can buy an orthopaedic kneeling chair which forces your back to be straight.

Whiplash personal injury claims

It can take some time to recover from a whiplash injury, especially if left untreated. Even after treatment, the symptoms may reoccur for a while until the body has had time to settle and renew itself. Read more about the future for whiplash sufferers.

Our personal injury solicitors have an excellent success rate in dealing with whiplash injury claims and can help you to get the best possible compensation award.

If you have sustained a whiplash injury through a non-fault accident and believe that somebody else is responsible, contact us now on 0808 143 43 42. We will let you know whether you are eligible to make a whiplash claim and how to go about starting the process.