Whiplash

General Information on Whiplash

Whiplash is a term used to describe neck pain caused by an injury to the tissues of the neck. The injuries that cause whiplash cause the neck to forcibly move past its normal range of motion. The most common causes of whiplash are car accidents, sports accidents, falls, a blow to the head, chronic strain of the neck, repetitive neck injuries, and child abuse such as shaking a child. The symptoms of whiplash can occur instantaneously or hours after the tissues have been damaged. One way of determining the severity of the damage done is by how soon after the injury the symptoms appear. The sooner the symptoms appear, the greater the severity from the injury. The symptoms of include more basic things like neck pain to more severe symptoms like pain in the arms. The more severe the whiplash, the more symptoms may appear. It is important to seek medical attention should neck pain, headache, dizziness, or tingling, weakness, tenderness, or pain in the arms or legs develop shortly after the initial injury.

Symptoms of Whiplash

Some of the symptoms of whiplash may be:

Neck pain
Difficulty moving the neck
Headache
Swelling of the neck
Tenderness of the back of the neck
Muscle spasms in the neck
Pain from the neck to the arm
Dizziness
Weakness in the arms or legs
Tenderness in the arms or legs
Tingling sensation in the arms or legs

Treatments For Whiplash

The treatment for whiplash is dependent on the severity of the damage to the neck tissues. For lesser cases, things as simple as focusing on relieving the symptoms may be enough. Icing the neck and taking anti-inflammatory medication to help reduce the inflammation to the neck is important. For moderate cases, ice therapy and anti-inflammatory medications/pain relievers are needed as well as neck massages and neck rest, heat therapy, and bed rest. For the more severe cases, as well as continuing all of the other treatments for mild and moderate whiplash, immobilization of the neck, early range of motion exercises and avoiding neck strain until a few weeks after the symptoms have been alleviated is important. Should the symptoms of whiplash persist, the doctor may recommend seeing a physical therapist, chiropractor, or another doctor who specializes in rehabilitation as well as monitoring for additional injuries.

Personal Experience

Whiplash - personal experiences