Neck

The neck is one of the least stabilized areas of the body.  Because of this, it is constantly under various stresses that can ultimately cause alignment of the bones in the neck as well as the tensions of the muscles around the neck to not be quite right.  For example, having a job requiring you to sit at a desk all day, sports like football or even cheerleading, or even sleeping wrong can cause all sorts of dysfunction in the neck.  This dysfunction can cause muscles to spasm, nerves to be pinched, or can even cause arthritis down the road.  Your neck is constantly under the stress of the weight of the head as well as how your body carries your head.  Neck pain is very common and is typically a result of the years of biomechanical problems someone has either neglected or hasn’t noticed.

Whiplash injuries can occur even if you’re not in a vehicle.  You can also get whiplash from things like bouncing the wrong way on a trampoline, falling awkwardly, or getting tackled.  The most common way to get whiplash, however, is in a car accident.  Even a fender bender at 5 miles per hour can be enough to cause a whiplash injury.  Whiplash happens when the head and neck go through a rapid acceleration or deceleration from it’s previous state.  It is characterized by injury to the bone as well as soft tissue within the neck.  Typically, if untreated by a qualified chiropractor, whiplash injuries can lead to permanent degeneration in the neck.