Whiplash Treatment in Lynnwood, WA
Whiplash and auto accident injuries can hit way harder than the crash itself. Neck pain, stiffness, headaches, and weird tightness in your back can all show up days or even weeks later.
At Alderwood Back and Neck Pain in Lynnwood, WA, Dr. Darcy Szigety, DC provides conservative, non‑surgical, medication‑free care that focuses on the root cause of your post‑accident pain. Doctors here have advanced training in whiplash injury biomechanics and traumatology from the Spine and have been treating injury patients since 2017.
Early evaluation helps protect you from long‑term issues with your neck, back, and nerves. If you have been in a crash, even a “minor” one, booking an assessment is a smart first move. Call (425) 775-6767 to schedule your complimentary consultation.
Auto Accidents and Whiplash
Auto accidents are one of the most common setups for whiplash, lower back injuries, and other soft‑tissue trauma. A rear‑end or front‑end collision can throw your head and body forward and back so fast that your muscles and ligaments just cannot keep up. That sudden movement stretches and sometimes tears tissues in your neck and back.
Dr. Szigety sees a wide range of accident cases, from people hit at a stoplight to patients who had a double impact, rear end and then pushed into the car in front. Even “small” fender‑benders can create whiplash, especially if you were not expecting the crash or your head was turned. Sports hits and other fast, jerky movements can cause similar injury patterns.
If you have neck pain, headaches, or stiffness after a collision, do not brush it off. Getting checked early means you can catch ligament and disc issues before they turn into long‑term problems.
Frequent Causes of Whiplash
When you visit Alderwood Back and Neck Pain Clinic , Dr. Darcy Szigety, DC starts with a detailed conversation, not a rushed exam. He asks when your pain started, whether it feels more acute or chronic, what makes it better or worse, and what your day looks like at work and at home. Your occupation, daily habits, and past injuries all matter.
Next comes a focused physical examination. This typically includes:
- Posture and alignment check
- Range of motion and functional movement testing
- Orthopedic tests to see which joints or discs are irritated
- Neurological tests for strength, reflexes, and sensation
- Palpation, where he gently feels each segment of the spine and surrounding muscles to find what feels normal versus restricted or tender
X‑rays are often taken to study the structure of your spine and rule out more serious issues. If your symptoms do not match what shows on X‑ray, or if you are not improving as expected, Dr. Darcy Szigety, DC may refer you for an MRI and coordinate care with pain management or orthopedic specialists when appropriate.
After reviewing everything, Dr. Darcy Szigety, DC explains what is most likely causing your pain and walks you through the next steps so you know exactly what is going on and why he recommends each part of your plan.
Chiropractic Treatments for Whiplash
Whiplash is basically your neck getting snapped around faster than your muscles and ligaments can handle. In Dr. Szigety’s words, it is usually caused by “sudden movements like a car accident or sports injury” that over‑stretch or damage the muscles, ligaments, and joints in the neck and sometimes the lower back.
Common causes include:
- Rear‑end or front‑end collisions that jerk the head back and forth
- Side impacts that fling the head sideways
- Sports hits or falls with rapid acceleration and deceleration
- Hard stops that whip the neck forward then back
In more serious cases, this sudden force can also irritate discs and lead to discogenic injuries or what patients describe as a “bursting disc” in the neck or low back. Symptoms might not show up right away. You can feel “fine” immediately after the crash and wake up the next day barely able to move your neck. If you have been in an accident, it is worth letting a chiropractor for whiplash actually test things instead of guessing.
How Chiropractic Helps Whiplash Recover
Chiropractic care is designed for exactly this type of problem. Dr. Szigety explains chiropractic as a natural, conservative way of keeping your spine, joints, muscles, and nervous system working properly so your body can move better and hurt less.
After a whiplash injury, joints can lock up, muscles can spasm, and nerves can get irritated. A chiropractor for whiplash looks beyond “where does it hurt” and checks how everything is moving and how your body is compensating. Dr. Szigety loves actually doing something with his hands to help patients feel better, not just writing a prescription and walking out.
Gentle spinal adjustments, soft tissue work, and specific exercises can help restore motion, calm down overworked muscles, and support healing in a non‑surgical way. When needed, he co‑manages with pain management or orthopedic specialists and refers to imaging like MRI so you are not navigating this alone.
Symptoms of Whiplash
Whiplash is a neck injury that happens when your head is whipped quickly back and forth or side to side. That rapid motion stretches and sometimes tears the muscles and ligaments in your neck, and it can also irritate joints and discs in both the neck and lower back.
Common whiplash and auto accident symptoms can include:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Headaches that start at the base of the skull and wrap around the head
- Shoulder or upper back soreness
- Dizziness or feeling “off”
- Pain, tingling, or numbness that travels into the arms
- Low‑back pain from the same sudden forces
Dr. Szigety sees a lot of patients whose whiplash came from rear‑end collisions, sometimes with a double impact that hits the neck even harder. These injuries can overlap with disc problems, especially in the neck and low back, which is why a proper exam and imaging plan matters.
Long-Term Effects of Whiplash
Ignoring whiplash and just hoping it fades is kind of like ignoring a leak in your ceiling. You might be fine for a bit, but over time the damage stacks up. Sprain‑strain injuries and disc irritation typically take weeks to months to heal, not days. If you never address joint motion, muscle imbalance, and posture, your body keeps moving in a stressed, guarded way.
Possible long‑term consequences of untreated whiplash include:
- Chronic neck pain and stiffness
- Recurring headaches or migraines
- Ongoing muscle tension and trigger points in the neck and shoulders
- Disc issues and nerve irritation that cause arm pain, tingling, or weakness
- Compensations in the mid‑back and low back that create new pain
Dr. Szigety often sees whiplash cases that could have been easier to manage if they had been evaluated early. Getting checked soon after an accident gives you more options and usually a smoother recovery.
Self-Care Tips for Whiplash Recovery
At home, the move is gentle support, not “push through it.” In the early phase, short periods of ice can help calm irritation, followed later by light heat for tight muscles, based on Dr. Szigety’s instructions. Avoid long periods of sitting with your head forward. Take small movement breaks instead of locking your neck in one position. As you heal, simple range‑of‑motion exercises and posture tweaks that he shows you can keep things from stiffening back up.
Your Whiplash Treatment Plan
Whiplash treatment at Alderwood Back and Neck Pain is not a one‑size‑fits‑all “three visits and you’re done” situation. It starts with a detailed history about the crash, your symptoms, and your daily life, followed by orthopedic, neurological, range of motion, and functional tests. X‑rays are typically taken to look at alignment and rule out serious issues, and if your progress stalls or symptoms suggest deeper damage, Dr. Szigety refers for an MRI.
Care usually includes chiropractic adjustments using Diversified technique, drop‑table, or gentle tools like an Activator‑style instrument or ArthroStim‑type adjuster, depending on what your body can handle. Soft tissue therapy, including massage and myofascial release, helps calm tight muscles. Class IV laser, cold and heat therapy, or cryotherapy may be added to support healing.
On average, he sees whiplash and discogenic neck injuries for about two to three months, sometimes up to three or four months for more complex cases, with most patients feeling noticeably better after the first few weeks. Rehab exercises and lifestyle coaching are layered in as you improve.
Why Choose Alderwood Back and Neck Pain
At Alderwood clinic we are not just “a chiropractor who also sees car accident cases.” We have an advanced certification in whiplash injury biomechanics and traumatology. One of our Doctors has advanced certification from the Spine Research Institute of San Diego and has been caring for injury patients since 2017. He has also spent time in a university sports setting, which sharpened his eye for how the body moves in real life, not just on paper.
Dr. Szigety takes whiplash seriously, often seeing patients for two to three months and co‑managing with pain management, physical therapy, and orthopedic specialists when MRI shows disc involvement. Patients are not rushed in and out. He listens, explains findings in plain language, and adapts techniques to your comfort, whether that means hands‑on adjustments or gentler instrument‑assisted care.
If you want auto accident injury care that is conservative, non‑surgical, and actually focused on how you move and feel long term, Alderwood Back and Neck Pain is built for that.
Book An Appointment
Please use the booking tool below to book an appointment or by calling us on (425) 775-6767
Content Reviewed by
