The spine or backbone is a complex structure. It consists of thirty-three small bones called the vertebrae. Twenty-four are separated and nine are fused. It is the uppermost seven, called the cervical, that are damaged in a whiplash accident. A prominent Las Vegas chiropractor can more clearly explain how the damage affects you.

In an automobile accident the car stops suddenly and the passenger is jerked abruptly forward and back. The seven cervical vertebrae in the neck are injured by the crash. The spinal cord and nerve roots they protect are jarred. The resultant injury can be likened to what a baby suffers when shaken.

When you turn to chiropractic assistance to alleviate the sometimes excruciating pain, the first thing that takes place is an evaluation of your condition. Your spine will be examined physically. Questions will be asked and sometimes x-rays will be taken.

Some of the evaluation includes a range-of-motion test. Many individuals are unable to work, even at a desk job. Whiplash makes it difficult to move the head in a normal way.

Your care plan may differ from one set up for someone with a similar injury. It depends on your age and general health. In the majority of cases a series of spinal adjustments are considered to be the best option.

The pain is due to one or more vertebrae being subluxated, or moved out of place. This can cause them to impact nerve roots. If the pressure against them can be alleviated, pain reduction will follow.

It is referred to as a subluxation, or misalignment of the vertebrae. When the neck is adjusted, it coaxes the bones gradually, moving them back into the correct position. The pressure on the nerve roots is reduced, thus alleviating the pain.

Of course, each person responds at a different rate. As your pain begins to subside, mild exercises may be added to your program. Chiropractic care is attuned to your specific needs in the best way possible.