Whiplash, is an injury to your neck caused by the sudden snapping of your neck muscles, ligaments, and nerves in a whip like motion most commonly experienced through high speed and rear impact driving accidents. With severe whiplash the bones of your neck (cervical or C spine) may break too - fracture.
Whiplash Symptoms
- Mild whiplash symptoms include minimal muscle soreness around the neck area and may include a dull headache the next day.
- Moderate whiplash symptoms include more muscle tenderness, stiffness and discomfort, headaches which persist several days, and tingling in your fingers.
- Severe whiplash symptoms include severe muscle aches with movement, headaches, shooting pains down your arms, and hand grip weakness.
Whiplash Treatment
- Mild whiplash treatment requires just rest and an anti-inflammatory such as Advil or Motrin for 1-2 weeks to settle.
- Moderate whiplash injury can usually be treated adding a muscle relaxant and physiotherapy physical modalities such as heat, current, ultrasound, massage etc Moderate whiplash injury is also helped by wearing a soft collar for neck support. This reduces movement improving neck fibre healing time.
- Severe whiplash injuries are typically treated in an Emergency department and can range from wearing a rigid support collar for several weeks to surgical neck fixation for C spine fractures under supervision of an orthopedic specialist.