Whiplash Treatment in Royal Palm Beach | Car Accident Chiropractor
It Didn't Seem Like a Big Deal at the Time
Someone rear-ended you at a red light. Maybe on Southern Boulevard during rush hour, or in a parking lot at The Mall at Wellington Green. You got out, exchanged insurance info, drove home.
Then you woke up the next morning.
Couldn't turn your head. Shoulders felt like cement. Maybe a pounding headache that won't quit. Each day symptoms feel to be getting worse despite what you do at home.
Welcome to whiplash. And yes, it's probably worse than you expected.
I'm Dr. Frost, and I've been treating whiplash injuries injuries for years. I've heard the same story hundreds of times: "It wasn't that bad of an accident. I didn't think I was that hurt."
Here's the reality—you don't need to be in a high-speed collision to get whiplash. Even a 5-10 mph impact can do it. The force whips your head back and forth faster than your muscles can react, placing the brunt of the force onto the ligaments and discs of the spine and the damage is done before you even realize it.
What Happens During Whiplash?
Picture this: You're sitting at a stoplight. Someone hits you from behind. In a fraction of a second, your car lurches forward, but your head doesn't move with it right away. Your neck snaps back, then rebounds forward.
The whole thing takes maybe half a second. But in that time:
The ligaments in your neck get overstretched
Muscles strain or tear
Joints get irritated and locked up
The discs between your vertebrae can get damaged
Nerves can get irritated or compressed
Despite that, most people feel no to minimal pain initially — the adrenaline is pumping through your system right after the accident. You likely feel shaken up, sure, but not injured.
Then 12-48 hours later, the inflammation really sets in. The muscle spasms start. And suddenly you realize you're hurt worse than you thought originally.
Why Whiplash Is Tricky
The Delayed Pain
Most whiplash symptoms don't show up immediately. Could be the next day. Could be three days later. I've had patients come in a week after their accident saying "I felt fine at first, but now I can barely move."
This is totally normal with whiplash, but it can be scary to feel and go through.
It's Not Always Just Neck Pain
Typically yes, it is primarily in the neck and upper back but whiplash can cause:
Headaches (usually starting at the base of your skull)
Shoulder and upper back pain
Dizziness or vertigo
Ringing in your ears
Jaw pain (TMJ issues)
Difficulty concentrating or "brain fog"
Numbness or tingling in your arms
Fatigue
Some of these symptoms are from the neck injury itself. Others are from your brain getting jostled around a bit and likely suffering from a concussion. What many people don't know is that you actually do NOT need to directly hit your head on something to get a concussion. The the speed and inertia of the accident is enough to cause that internally.
X-rays Usually Look Normal
You might go to the ER right after the accident. They'll take X-rays, tell you nothing's broken, and send you home with some pain meds and muscle relaxers.
Great, nothing's broken. But whiplash involves soft tissue damage—muscles, ligaments, tendons, discs and their associated joints. That stuff rarely shows up on X-rays. So you're sitting there in pain with "normal" imaging results, wondering if you're going crazy.
You're not. Whiplash is real, even when X-rays are clear for fractures or dislocations (which is only what they are screening for in an emergency setting).
Types of Whiplash Injuries We Treat
Classic Rear-End Collision Whiplash
This is the most common case: Got hit from behind, unexpectedly or with not enough time to react and head snapped back then forward. Neck is stiff, shoulders are killing you, maybe some arm pain.
How we treat it: First few visits are very gentle. We're reducing inflammation and muscle spasms with specific adjustments and soft tissue work. We may prescribe you some things to do at home and to make you more comfortable at work such as topical analgesics heating pad, back brace, ect. As things calm down, we restore normal movement to your cervical spine and strengthen the muscles that support it.
Side-Impact Whiplash
Got T-boned at an intersection? Your head whips to the side instead of back and forth. This can actually be worse because your neck isn't designed to move that far laterally.
How we treat it: Similar approach, but we're focusing on the lateral muscles and joints. These injuries sometimes take a bit longer to resolve because side-to-side damage affects different structures.
Low-Speed Impact Injuries
"It was just a parking lot fender bender." Doesn't matter. Your body wasn't braced for impact, and even low-speed crashes can cause significant whiplash. Contrary to popular belief there is actually little to no correlation between the speed of an accident and the severity of injuries sustained. I have personally seen 5 mph parking lot crashes cause severe disc injury while someone else sustains minimal injuries on a 70mph crash on the freeway. Each case is completely different for many reasons.
How we treat it: Just as seriously as high-speed crashes. The physics are different, but the injury is still real.
Chronic Whiplash (Old Injuries Acting Up)
Maybe you were in an accident months or years ago. You recovered—or thought you did and maybe did not receive enough treatment. Now you've got recurring neck pain, stiffness, and headaches.
How we treat it: We're dealing with scar tissue, altered biomechanics, and compensatory patterns your body developed. Takes longer to fix, but absolutely treatable. Sometimes auto injury cases can be re-opened if the case has not been completely settled however this heavily depends on your specific case and insurance company or attorney. Even if your case is closed, we can still treat you under our cash rates.
Whiplash with Disc Involvement
Sometimes the impact causes disc bulges or herniations in your cervical spine. This usually means nerve symptoms—arm pain, numbness, weakness, and sometimes altered sensation at specific areas of your back, shoulders, and arms.
How we treat it: Very specifically and gently. We use techniques designed for disc injuries to decompress the affected area and take pressure off the nerve. Disc injuries take a long time to heal because they largely lack blood supply. Unfortunately there is just no way around this without surgery. Sometimes disc's can be symptomatic 6,12 months after the injury, maybe even more depending on the size and location of the injury as well as your overall health and medical history. Despite, this only a very small percentage of disc injuries actually require surgery and the rest will improve gradually with conservative treatments.
The Florida PIP Insurance Situation
If you have car insurance in Florida, you've got Personal Injury Protection (PIP). This is no-fault coverage that pays for medical treatment after an accident—including chiropractic care.
Here's what you need to know:
You have 14 days from the date of the accident to seek treatment. If you wait longer than that, your PIP coverage might not apply and you will have to pay out of pocket.
This isn't just about insurance, though. Early treatment dramatically improves outcomes. The longer you wait, the more inflammation, scar tissue, and compensation patterns develop. All medical care is predicated on early treatment to get the best longer term outcomes.
We handle PIP claims all the time. We'll work with your insurance, document everything properly, and make sure you get the care you need. If you're working with a personal injury attorney, we'll coordinate with them too and make sure you are completely taken care of.
Don't have PIP? We also accept cash payments and can set up payment plans. Don't let insurance concerns stop you from getting treated.
What Makes Our Whiplash Treatment Different
We Don't Use a Cookie-Cutter Approach
Some places do the same adjustment on every whiplash patient. That's insane. Your injury is unique to you—the angle of impact, your body mechanics, your age, your general health. All of it matters.
We tailor treatment to your specific injury.
We Start Gentle
Right after whiplash, your neck is inflamed and your muscles are in spasm trying to protect the area. Aggressive adjustments at this stage? Not the best idea.
We use gentle techniques first—mobilization, soft tissue work, maybe some light stretching. As you heal, we can be more specific with our adjustments and scale treatments up to what you can comfortably tolerate.
We Look Beyond Your Neck
Whiplash affects your whole spine, not just your neck. The impact travels down through your thoracic spine, into your low back. Your shoulders compensate. Your jaw might get tight.
We address all of it.
We Give You Realistic Expectations
Whiplash takes time to heal. I've seen people feel significantly better in a couple weeks. I've also seen cases that take upwards of a year. On average? Plan on about 12 weeks of regular treatment. Sometimes less, sometimes more. You will start coming in frequently throughout the week to start and we will progressively decrease treatments as things improve. By the end of your treatment plan, you will likely be coming in 1-2x/month.
I'll give you a better timeline after I examine you, but I'm not going to sugarcoat it. This isn't a one-visit fix these injuries take months to heal regardless of your pain levels.
We Will Work With Other Providers & Get You Advanced Imaging As Needed
As discussed above, whiplash is a largely a soft-tissue related injury. As such, to fully document and examine your spine, often it requires advanced imaging, typically in the form of MRI's to get a sense of the ligament, tendon or disc damage. Because these can be complicated injuries that take months to heal, sometimes we have to work with other medical providers to get you ancillary treatments if you need more than what we can offer conservatively.
We Document Everything
For insurance purposes and for your own protection, we document every symptom, every finding, every treatment. If you end up needing to make a claim or work with an attorney, you'll have extremely thorough records.
Your First Visit After a Car Accident
Step 1: Tell Me What Happened
Walk me through the accident. What direction were you hit from? How fast were they going? Were you braced for impact or did it catch you off guard? What symptoms showed up first? All these details matter.
Step 2: Full Examination
I'm checking your neck's range of motion, feeling for areas of tenderness and joint restriction, testing your reflexes and muscle strength. If you've got arm symptoms, we need to figure out if a nerve or disc is involved.
Step 3: Imaging If Needed
Sometimes we need X-rays to see what's happening with your cervical spine alignment. I'll explain what I'm looking for before we take any images.
Step 4: The Treatment Plan
I'll explain what I found, what I think is going on, and how we're going to approach treatment. You'll know what to expect—how often you'll need to come in, how long it typically takes, what we're trying to accomplish both short and long term.
Step 5: First Treatment
We'll usually start treatment the same day if it's appropriate. Gentle mobilizations, maybe some soft tissue work and go over some take home stuff. The goal on day one is to start reducing inflammation and muscle spasms and ensure you fully understand the nature of your injuries.
Timeline: What to Expect
Week 1-2: Acute (inflammatory) Phase
You're still pretty sore. We're seeing you 2-3 times a week, focusing on reducing inflammation and restoring some basic movement. You might feel a bit better after each visit, but you're not out of the woods yet.
Week 3-4: Improvement Phase
Things should be getting noticeably better. We're probably thinking of starting to space visits out a bit—maybe twice a week now. We're working on restoring full range of motion and addressing lingering symptoms. If still symptomatic, this is typically the time advanced imaging may be considered. Progress exams will be conducted every 30 days to ensure we are seeing consistent results.
Week 5-8: Recovery Phase
By this point you should be feeling improvement since when you first came in. It is still common during this time to have intermittent flair ups with usual activity or to have some good days and bad days. You should be beginning to feel some increased confidence in performing more active duties around the home or at work.
Weeks 8-12 Weeks
Most people are largely back to normal by now. Despite your decreased pain levels, your tissues are still actively remodeling (healing) in the background and we are still working to ensure they heal properly, with full mobility and reduce the amount of scar tissue that is deposited as much as we can. Some people need a bit longer, especially if there was disc involvement or pre-existing neck issues. We'll reassess and adjust the plan as needed.
Common Questions About Whiplash
How long does whiplash last?
Symptom wise, this is incredibly variable based upon the severity of the injury, your health history and psychological factors on your pain tolerance. Minor cases can often be relieved in less than 4 weeks. Moderate injury you can expect to have symptoms in some capacity for 8-12 weeks. Severe may be 6-12 months, especially if there is disc involvement. Early treatment makes a huge difference in recovery time.
Can whiplash cause permanent damage?
Most people fully recover. But if it's not treated properly, you can develop chronic issues—recurring neck pain, reduced range of motion, arthritis developing earlier than it otherwise would. That's why treatment is so important.
I felt fine at the scene. Am I faking it?
No. Delayed symptoms are completely normal with whiplash. Adrenaline masks pain, and inflammation takes time to develop. This is well-documented in medical literature.
Will adjustments make it worse?
Not when done properly. We use gentle techniques specifically designed for fresh injuries. You might be a little sore the next day (like after a massage), but the treatment itself shouldn't make your injury worse.
Should I use ice or heat?
Ice for the first 48-72 hours to reduce inflammation. After that, heat can help with muscle stiffness. I'll give you specific instructions based on your situation.
Can I still work?
Depends on your job. Desk work is usually fine, though you might need to take breaks. Heavy lifting or physically demanding work? Probably best to take some time off if you can. We can discuss this in detail during your appointment.
What if I'm still in pain after treatment ends?
We'll cross that bridge if we get there. But if you're not improving at the expected rate, we'll reassess. Might need different techniques, might need to refer you for imaging or other medical providers. I'm not going to keep doing the same thing if it's not working.
Do I need to hire a lawyer?
That's up to you IF you have PIP to cover medical care. Generally yes, it makes sense to hire an attorney after a crash for several reasons: First, it helps ensure your treated fairly by both your own insurance company and the at-fault party. Even the worst attorney has the power you do not have - to sue the insurance company, if needed, or at least make the threat. Insurance companies only make money if you do not use the benefits that you pay for and to under pay you when it comes time to settle your case so it's logical to assume that is what they typically do. Second, they will often also help get you into imaging centers or other medical providers offices, if needed, since many do require that you sign with attorney to even get in the door. Third, they will walk you through the process and take care of the stress of dealing with constant calls with the insurance companies so you can focus on getting better and getting back to your daily life. Fourth, its completely free to you. They work on contingency, taking a pre-set percentage of the final settlement so they only get paid if they get you a decent result.
I have managed hundreds of personal injury and cases and worked with dozens of law firms and attorneys in multiple states and from what I've seen, the patients that choose to work with a reputable attorney usually end up in a better spot at the end both financially and medically. If you do choose to go the attorney route, always prioritize going with a local firm/attorney that you feel good about and can trust.
Why Royal Palm Beach Patients Choose Us
We're right here in your community. Not some chain clinic where you see a different person every visit. You're seeing me, getting personalized care, and actually building a relationship with someone who knows your case inside and out. I am a family man and treat all patients that come through my doors with same respect and care that I would give to one of my own family and friends.
Plus, we're easy to get to from Wellington, West Palm Beach, and Loxahatchee. Right off US-98 and near State Road 7 with plenty of parking.
Don't Wait—Seriously
I know you're dealing with insurance calls and car repairs and all kinds of stress right now. But your health needs to be the priority.
Every day you wait is another day of inflammation building up, scar tissue forming, and compensatory patterns developing. The research is clear: early intervention after whiplash leads to better outcomes.
You've got 14 days to start treatment if you want your PIP insurance to cover it. But honestly? Don't wait 14 days. Come in this week.
Call us or book online with the button on the top or bottom of the page. Let's get you started on the path to recovery.
Frost Chiropractic
11931 Southern Blvd, Suite 320,
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
Serving Wellington, West Palm Beach & Loxahatchee
This information is educational and doesn't replace professional medical advice. If you're experiencing severe symptoms like loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, or signs of serious injury, go to the emergency room immediately.