Can chiropractors help in your whiplash compensation claim?

For sufferers of injuries related to whiplash, compensation is often further from their minds than recovery is. Some of these sufferers turn to chiropractors, as they state they are able to help whiplash injuries and back pain more than conventional methods can.

From the Greek for 'done by hand', the term chiropractic refers to treatment in which the practitioner works on a patient's spine with their hands. Following a neurological examination, in which the chiropractor will test the nerves and reflexes of a patient, treatment can involve anything from gentle massage to spinal manipulation and sudden extensions, causing an audible 'cracking' of the spine.

It is easy to find people claiming that they have had positive experiences of chiropractic medicine for back pain and whiplash, and easy to find websites and other publicity materials for the practice. However, there is growing medical evidence that suggests there may be more risks to visiting a chiropractor than might be assumed.

Two studies from the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, published in 2006 and 2007, collated the data from all individual chiropractic trials in preceding years, and both found that there was no benefit from spinal manipulation. Both also drew attention to the possibility of adverse effects, including severed spinal arteries, which can lead to a stroke.

The latter paper also found that less drastic effects, such as increased pain or extended recovery periods, can be a direct result of spinal manipulation in 30 to 60 percent of patients. In these cases, a whiplash compensation claim may result in a further personal injury claim being made against the chiropractor.

As whiplash is already a serious condition, it is important that sufferers should consult a medical professional before making decisions about any course of treatment.

Chiropractic medicine in a whiplash compensation claim
If you are considering a whiplash compensation claim following an accident, and chiropractic treatment is considered a reasonable response to your injuries, you may be able to include the cost of this in your damages. YouClaim can help you begin your claim process, and can introduce you to a personal injury solicitor with whiplash expertise.

Every firm we work with is in the Solicitors Regulation Authority scheme, ensuring they are of high quality, and we guarantee both a no win, no fee arrangement and a 100% compensation award. Your claim is free to make, win or lose, and any damages awarded in your whiplash compensation claim will go directly to you. Neither YouClaim nor your solicitor will take any cut from you.

To begin your claim, call 0800 10 757 95, chat to us online, or have an advisor call you at a convenient time with our call-back form. Our whiplash compensation team is ready to help.