Whiplash

Car accidents, blows to the back in sports, and on-the-job injuries can easily leave you with a whiplash injury. While symptoms are often felt immediately, pain may be delayed for days, months, or, in rare cases, even years. In fact, many people wake up with neck pain without being aware of ever having a head or neck injury. The most common symptom of whiplash (affecting 62% to 92% of those injured) is neck pain, and it usually begins between two hours and two days after the accident. This is often the result of tightened muscles that react to either muscle tears or excessive movement of joints from ligament damage. The muscles tighten in an effort to splint up and support the head, limiting the excessive movement. While muscle relaxants and pain killers can relieve some of the discomfort of these muscle spasms, these medications will only cover up symptoms, failing to address the cause of the problem.

An estimated 66% to 70% of those suffering from whiplash complain of headaches. The pain may be on one side or both, intermittent or constant, in one location or more diffuse. These headaches, like neck pain, are often the result of tightened, tensed muscles trying to keep the head stable and, like tension headaches, they are often felt behind the eyes.

Lower back complaints are also a very common complaint after an auto accident. This is due to being in a seated position during the accidnet. This can put a lot of stress and strain on the lower back during a forceful blow. Lower back fractures can even happen with enough force.

If you experience any of these symptoms, you may have a whiplash injury that, if left untreated, can cause far more serious problems months or years later. Everyone knows someone who got in a car accident and has never been the same since.

What should you do if you get in a car accident

The most important thing you can do right away is follow any advice from the EMT’s. If they recommend going to the hospital, go. Most of the times the emergency physicians will make sure there is no significant injuries that require admittance to the hospital and than release you. They may prescribe medication and will tell you to follow up with a primary care physician if you are still having problems. If you did not go to the hospital after the accident, seeking out a primary care physician or a chiropractor is where you should start. While chiropractors are not specifically primary care providers, we are more than capable of managing your injury. Chiropractors are trained specifically in musculoskeletal injuries and with these kind of injuries, early interventions have better outcomes. One of the biggest factors in long term recovery is movement. Like after surgery, where they try to get you moving right away, getting motion back into the joints, muscle and fascia helps prevent scar tissue.

What are the symptoms of whiplash?

The symptoms of a whiplash injury can vary greatly in terms of onset and severity, but some common symptoms associated with it are the following:

  • A loss or reduction in ability to move the neck
  • Neck stiffness and pain
  • Pain in arms and hands
  • Muscle spasm
  • Dizziness and/or vertigo
  • Fatigue
  • Blurred or altered vision
  • Ringing in ears
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Numbness/pins and needles in arms and hands

Remember: Symptoms may appear immediately after the whiplash injury or there may be a delayed onset of symptoms, which can prevent a person from associating the symptoms with an injury. This often postpones the patient from receiving timely treatment.   

What are the Long-Term Effects of Untreated Whiplash?

Patients who have a whiplash injury treated immediately suffer significantly less long-term effects than those who delay treatment or receive no treatment at all. Long-term effects of untreated whiplash are chronic pain and loss of function, permanent damage to the vertebrae and nervous system, as well as accelerated degeneration of the cervical spine. This is why visiting the chiropractor for proper diagnosis and treatment is vitally important to the immediate and long-term health of the patient.