Neck Exercises following a Baltimore Auto Accident

Neck Exercises Following a Baltimore Auto Accident

As a chiropractor that routinely treats patients with neck pain following Baltimore auto accidents, it is not uncommon for me to treat patients with a combination of both joint and muscle pain and dysfunction. Traditionally Chiropractors have been thought of as providers that only engage in only passive therapies- that is treatment where a patient has the therapies done TO them, instead of by them. To some degree this is true. I offer patients electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound, intersegmental traction, and even spinal manipulation which are all passive modalities. Research has shown that in addition to passive treatments, more active treatments such as muscle stretching and resistance exercises help patients to decrease pain, increase ranges of motion, and decrease healing time. More interestingly, the faster a patient resumes active therapies following their injury, the faster they heal.

At Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic we offer both passive and active modalities to help our injured patients heal from whiplash following Baltimore Auto Accidents.

Assuming that a patient has an injury to the joints and muscles of their neck, lets take a look at a few exercises we would likely have them perform in the office. Keep in mind- no two patients are the same and some patients may require additional or different exercises depending on their specific condition and injury. These exercises are to be considered a guideline for neck stretching. Please contact me or another healthcare professional if you have questions before performing any of these stretches on your own.

1. Side Bending Stretch (Lateral Flexion). A link can be seen here. You lean your ear to your shoulder as far as you can. Make sure to repeat both sides and not push past perception of pain.

2. Turning Stretch (Rotational Stretch). A link can be seen here. You turn your chin towards your shoulders as far as you can. Make sure to repeat both sides and not push past perception of pain.

3. Chin out/Chin Back (Protraction/Retraction Stretch). A link can be seen here. You “jut” your chin forward and bring it back (think about making a “double chin”), paying particular attention to not extend your neck. Typically extension will bother your condition following whiplash, although this is not always the case.

4. Isometric Resistance Stretching. A link can be seen here. This is the addition of light resistance, either by utilizing a hand, a towel, or a small ball to engage muscles actively while restricting joint motion. These are considered a progression over the first three stretches we discussed and should be worked up to over time.

If you, or someone you know, has suffered whiplash and has neck pain as a result of a Baltimore Auto Accident, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be glad to help.

Dr. Gulitz