The History of Your Headaches
When whiplash happens, there is always a chance that in the days, weeks, months, or perhaps even years that chronic headaches will follow. The trick to knowing if those ongoing headaches are due to this type of neck injury is to think back to any type of injury you experienced in which the ligaments in your neck were overextended.
Too often, people think unless they were in a major collision, they did not experience whiplash. That’s just not true. It can happen at as low of a speed as only five MPH. That means a vehicle doesn’t need to be involved in order for the injury to happen.
Now, the crazy thing is that it is not even necessary for an outside force to strike a person in order for them to get this type of injury. It can not only happen because a person falls or trips, but it can also occur because a person moves their neck too quickly. Anything that causes the neck ligaments to become overextended causes whiplash.
Causes of Whiplash
If you’ve experienced any of these types of accidents, you probably have whiplash:
- Sports related collision
- Overuse of your neck muscles
- Physical abuse
- Falling objects
- Auto accident
- Roller coasters
- Bicycle accidents
- Cradling the phone against your ear with your shoulder
- Fall or tripping
The Cause of Your Headaches
If your chronic headaches are due to whiplash, which resulted from one of the above accidents or an injury caused by one of the above activities, they most likely stem from an injury at the base of your skull. There are two small bones there, which are the top two vertebrae in your neck, called your upper cervical spine there. Those two bones are situated just below your brainstem.
An injury to those two vertebrae can cause them to become misaligned, and a misalignment of only ¼ of a millimeter will place enough pressure on the brainstem to hinder the brain’s ability to communicate with the body. That can lead to all sorts of complications throughout the body, including chronic headaches.
Of course, the best way to overcome those ongoing headaches is for an upper cervical chiropractor to examine your upper neck vertebrae for any misalignments that may be the underlying cause of your chronic headaches. They will then make the necessary adjustments, so your brain can begin to communicate with your body once again.
To find an upper cervical specialist in your area go to http://www.NUCCA.org/ or if you are in the Chicago, Illinois area click the button below to schedule a consultation:
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Dr. Young Chung of NUCCA Wellness Clinic of Chicago, with a location in Chicago and a 2nd location in Wheeling is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves Northbrook, Long Grove, Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove and Vernon Hills. He is uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, whiplash injuries, post-concussion syndrome. This type of care has also shown benefits for athletic performance and pregnancy outcomes. More information can be found on our website at http://www.NUCCAwellnessChicago.com/
