knows
Too bad you don't live up here I'd love to take a look at it.
Although there are a lot that have sold out there are a few good ones around also. It would probably take about a month to get the structures mechanically correct enough to stabalize the musculature so you could toss the cervical colar. Any good chiropractor should be able to do that.
The guy that just cracks you neck is NOT the way to go. It needs some very specifc directional correction. And if the disc is involved that complicates things a bit. But never the less, is quite doable.
My advise to find a good Chiro is: Thompsom table, Intersegmental traction, use the activator as a percussion instrumant for directional correction NOT a reflex device, which translates to he must know the cervical spine intimately and how to correct the upper cervical segments. C1&2.
If a disc is herniated the only way to correct that is via surgery. However it depends on the location of the herniation. (Herniation and rupture are the same thing) With a whiplash injury it can go wither way. If the disc ruptures anterior (forward) you're safe, there are no nerves coming out of the spine on the front side of it. If posterior (towards the back) you'll need surgery to repair it. Unless its healed up satifactorily.
But first make sure the rest of the structures are correct. Most herniated disc don't require surgery. And I've seen the herniated disc diagnosis from the medics that just simply wasn't true, the disc was still there - no rupture.
I've seen some pretty bad cervical spines over the years. About a year ago a guy came in with his head permenently cocked to the right. He couldn't use his left shoulder or arm. Couldn't raise his left arm at all, serious pain. Real nice guy, mid 40's. He hurt his neck way back in highschool as a wrestler, been getting progressively worse every year. It took me about three months to fix him but he stuck with it and is amazed that he has full use of his sholder and arm again. And his head is straight up not cocked to the right side. So, it IS doable. He stuck with it because he did see enough gradual improvement to know he was doing the right thing. And I keep my fees pretty low compared to the other DC's around here so it was affordable too.
So, ask around, find a good chiro that can get the job done. There are a few of us left. And some of the new guys are pretty good too. They all aren't rip-off artists.
Doc Sutter