Your spine is a long chain of bones, discs, muscles, and ligaments that extend from your skull down to your tailbone. 

Your neck, or cervical spine, supports your head and shields the nerves that supply your arms, shoulders, and face.

Postural changes, arthritis, and sudden injuries are a few of the primary causes of neck pain. 

The majority of the time, the pain is caused by an issue with your neck’s muscles, bones, discs, or nerves.

That’s important to remember when considering how to recover from whiplash injuries naturally. 

That’s probably a big part of what has you considering seeking chiropractic treatment for whiplash in Austin, Texas.

Whiplash injuries can occur during a sports accident or during a slip and fall.

Furthermore, as the most of us are aware, whiplash injuries are frequently received in car crashes.

These injuries can cause damage to the delicate structures in your neck and lead to symptoms such as headaches, neck pain and stiffness, shoulder pain, and numbness and tingling or pain in your arms and hands. 

That pain is your body’s way of saying “pay attention inside now!”

Let’s examine more closely at what happens after a whiplash injury and, perhaps more significantly, how to heal from one naturally.

Why it Matters:

Over 1.5 million whiplash injuries occur each year, many from low impact collisions.

Research does in fact show that low-speed crashes can create the force necessary to cause pain and injury.

Many people tend to neglect whiplash injuries and have never learned how to heal from them naturally because they can happen at moderate speeds and in events other than auto accidents.

That’s why many of your neighbors who were recently in a car accident are probably looking for chiropractic care for whiplash in Austin, Texas.

The truth is that even minor damage to the ligaments of your neck can take up to 12 weeks to heal. 

In some cases, the partial tearing of the muscles, tendons, or ligaments around your spine can take several months to heal.

Depending on the severity of the ligament tearing, these injuries may also be classified as permanent.

Whiplash can also cause damage to your facet joints and spinal discs by stretching them beyond their normal range of motion. 

Almost every bone in your neck has a pair of sliding joints towards the back called facet joints. 

Your body will attempt to make up for any adhesions or blocked joints.

A stiff neck after an accident is a good clue that a whiplash injury may have occurred. 

Keep an eye out for swelling and bruising, which can take up to 24 hours to develop. 

Many people may already know what symptoms to watch for, but most people may not really know how to recover from whiplash injuries naturally. 

How to Recover From Whiplash Injuries Naturally

It’s essential to control any inflammation early in your treatment and improve your range of motion. 

In other words, it’s key to use movement as medicine. 

While it may seem strange that movement can be a good thing even if it causes discomfort, we know that controlled movement can limit the amount of scar tissue that forms and may even increase the healing rate. 

Still wondering exactly how to recover from whiplash injuries naturally?

Let’s recap the key principles we just discussed. 

• Obtaining an accurate diagnosis with a complete examination and spinal imaging is the first step towards determining the best plan of care to heal from your injuries.
  
• Inflammation is often the primary factor that causes pain and restricted movement after a whiplash injury.
  
• Controlling inflammation naturally and reestablishing your range of motion can help reduce your pain and improve the results of your care. 

Next Steps:

With the right healthcare team, most people can get back to their full life and activities without the need for drugs or surgery.

Chiropractors focus on the structure and function of your spine. 

When your spine is functioning optimally, your body is able to heal itself, no medications needed. 

When looking at how to recover from whiplash injuries naturally, a chiropractor’s care is key. 

We take a holistic approach to help you recover from whiplash by examining and treating the injured muscles, ligaments, discs, and more. 

Depending on the type of accident, we may choose to take x-rays or an MRI of your neck to evaluate your injuries better. 

Chiropractors are considered essential after an accident because of our focus on improving your movement, biomechanics, and functional ability while reducing your pain. 

Schedule an appointment to receive chiropractic treatment for whiplash in Austin, Texas today if you are someone you know has been injured in a car accident. 

We’re here to help guide your recovery process and theirs every step of the way.

Science Source:

The Treatment of Neck Pain and Whiplash-Associated Disorders. JMPT. 2016. 

Bottom Line:

If you’ve had neck or back pain that you could pinpoint with your finger or felt a sharp pain in your back when moving, the cause may have been some sort of dysfunction with one or more of the facet joints (often the lumbar facet joints) of your spine. Facet joints: gliding your way to better health can make a significant difference.

So, what are the facet joints? 

Think of these joints as the “knuckles” of your spine that glide, slide, and stabilize. 

They both add flexibility to your spine so you’re able to bend and twist your back and also help to keep you from “over doing” any of those motions (i.e., hyperextending or hyper flexing). 

Needless to say, ensuring your facet joints are functioning at their best is important to making sure you’re able to move freely, and if you think you might need facet joint pain treatment in Austin, Texas, you’ve come to the right place! Understanding the importance of facet joints: gliding your way to better health starts here.

Here’s what you should know.

Why it Matters:

As we age, our spinal discs also age, and it’s our facet joints – often our lumbar facet joints – that take on the extra load. 

And, as you may have guessed, this excess stress and pressure can wear them down.

This can lead to the development of adhesions, bone spurs, and pain that can all limit our ability to move freely. But with the right approach, facet joints: gliding your way to better health is achievable.

The good news? Targeted spinal adjustments can help break up adhesions in and around your lumbar facet joints, cervical facet joints, and the other joints in your spine to help reduce pain and restore proper motion. 

That’s why our team specializes in facet joint pain treatment in Austin, Texas.

To recap, here’s what we know…

• The facet joints of your spine slide and glide to allow you to bend and twist your body.
  
• As we age, adhesions can develop in our facet joints that restrict how well we move.
  
• Adjustments help break up adhesions surrounding the facets so you can once again move freely and with less pain.

Chiropractic Care for Lumbar Facet Joint Pain Treatment

There’s a wide range of research supporting the use of chiropractic care for the management of adhesions and pain related to the lumbar facet joints and understanding the results of those studies can help you decide if facet joint pain treatment in Austin, Texas may be right for you. Chiropractic care can be part of the process of facet joints: gliding your way to better health. 

For your reference, here’s some basic terminology you’ll find helpful when reviewing any such studies: 

• The facet joints are also referred to as “Z” (zygapophyseal) joints.
  
• Chiropractic care / adjustments is also referred to as SMT (spinal manipulative therapy).
  
• The term “gapping” refers to the physical manipulation or mobilization of the joints.
  

In one recent study, researchers set out to understand the effects spinal manipulative therapy and specifically gapping of the “Z” joints can have on the adhesions and pain in the lower back.

In other words, they wanted to understand the effects chiropractic adjustments can have on adhesions surrounding the lumbar facet joints and any related low back pain to help evaluate its effectiveness as a facet joint pain treatment option. 

And as it turns out, they did in fact observe that study participants reported both a reduction in pain and a reduction in restricted movement after receiving chiropractic care. 

We’ve observed the same in those patients receiving facet joint pain treatment in Austin, Texas at our clinic.

Such results demonstrate why conservative care like chiropractic is recommended as first-line therapy to treat low back and pain related to the facet joints.

Next Steps: 

The facet joints of your spine – whether we’re talking about the cervical facet joints or lumbar facet joints – crave movement.  

Movement is medicine, after all!

Movement helps the facet joints stay healthy and may even help slow down the effects of aging. So remember, facet joints: gliding your way to better health is the goal. 

Spinal adjustments have been shown to reduce adhesions in these joints and others so you can move more freely and with less pain. 

When you move better, you feel better, and we’re proud to be a part of the healthcare team that helps you stay active. 

So, if you’ve been living with back pain and you’re nearby, know we’re here to provide the best facet joint pain treatment in Austin, Texas, and our compassionate team is just a phone call away. 

Science Source: 

Facet Joints. Physiopedia. 2022.

Joint Changes Following Spinal Manipulation. JMPT. 2013.

Bottom Line:

“Sit up straight and stop slouching!”

We’ve all heard (or said) it a million times in the name of having perfect posture.

You’ve likely heard this since childhood, and for good reason.

Poor posture as a kid can create health challenges later in life.

Rounded shoulders (scapular protrusion), swayback (lumbar hyperlordosis) and a hunched upper back (thoracic hyperkyphosis) are all postural imbalances that place a tremendous amount of stress on the spine.

And when those imbalances persist, the muscles supporting your spine must work harder to support your body weight, and that can result in pain.

Know that If you’re experiencing daily aches and pains, seeing a posture rehab chiropractor in Austin, Texas is a great place to start. 

Abnormal postures have been linked to depression, decreases in energy, headaches, and carpal tunnel syndrome. 

Maintaining good posture as you age can help keep any unnecessary stress off your spine and joints, positively impacting your overall spinal health for years to come.

What’s more, your ability to move through a full range of motion without pain plays a big role in how your posture looks when you’re still.

But is there such a thing as perfect posture?

Well, the idea of perfect posture is a bit complicated.

The latest research shows that it makes more sense to think about your posture as dynamic, not static. 

That’s because your ideal or perfect posture is constantly changing and evolving. 

Why it Matters:

Your posture consists of a dynamic pattern of responses, reflexes, and habits – not a single position.

Poor posture is usually caused by what you aren’t doing instead of what you are doing.

The effects of gravity, the ergonomics of your desk at work, and your anatomy all play a role.

Even with great ergonomics, sitting for hours each day working on a computer can lead to postural issues.

It’s true. 

As the leading posture rehab chiropractor in Austin, Texas, we see this in our practice every day. 

Why it Matters:

Think about it. 

Most of us aren’t moving and stretching very often as we work or even rest with our smartphones or tablets in hand.

Over time the imbalances caused by those long hours spent looking down at our devices can lead to a habitual forward head posture. 

And while there may not be a one size fits all perfect posture, you can bet nearly every one of us has developed some level of habitual forward head posture. 

Why does that matter?

Well, when you start to lean forward, it places a tremendous amount of extra pressure on the discs in your neck and spine.

This added pressure can cause increased compression and lead to pain.

Even just a few inches of forward head posture can double or triple the amount of stress on the spinal joints in your neck.

Think about the impact this can have day after day after day.

Sustained forward head posture has also been associated with a weakening of the supporting muscles of your spine.

It’s estimated to result in neck pain for up to 75% of us.

That neck pain as well as tension, stiffness, and tenderness are all signs of chronic forward head posture.

The good news?

While it’s not easy to maintain those perfect postures, there are things you can do to perfect your posture every day. 

You can start by taking short breaks to stretch at least every 15-30 minutes. 

Doing so will help you reset your balance and relax your body, and it’s one of the most essential practices you can adopt when it comes to improving your posture in the long term. 

Trapezius strengthening has also been shown to provide clinically significant relief for those struggling with neck pain as a result of forward head posture.

Next Steps: 

By breaking the pattern of poor posture, you can reduce your likelihood of experiencing many common aches and pains.

Every day, you can take advantage of simple opportunities to improve your strength, flexibility, and ergonomics to develop more ideal or perfect posture patterns. 

Try this.

Next time you’re on the phone, stop for a moment and see if your head is creeping forward.

If your chin is tucked down and your ears are in front of your shoulders, then you’re in that forward head posture we discussed.

When that happens, it’s a sign that it’s a good time to take a break, stretch, and reset.

Simple.

And remember, both strength and flexibility also play a significant role in your posture.

Strengthening the trapezius muscles, actively maintaining good core strength, and working to balance that strength with flexibility can help your body best adapt to your environment.

Remember. Think of your ideal or perfect posture as dynamic. 

It’s constantly changing and evolving no matter how little our daily routines change or how much our daily habits change. 

Many of us spend large chunks of our days working on a computer, so it’s important to ensure that our spinal joints are moving well and moving correctly to help keep us feeling great.

That’s where we come in.

Chiropractors are taught many of the finer details that go into developing those ideal or perfect postures.

So, if you’ve been living with nagging aches and pains, and you’re interested in working with a posture rehab chiropractor in Austin, Texas, contact us for an evaluation today.

Together, we can help you perfect your posture and say goodbye to pain for years to come!

Science Source: 

Effects of Trapezius Strengthening on Patients with Neck Pain. Med Sci Monit. 2020.