When you think of whiplash you probably think of a car accident. That is one of the most well known causes of whiplash. Whiplash can occur at other times, like during sports, or more rarely, during a fall. Whiplash occurs when the neck is jerked back and forth, stretching or tearing the muscles and tendons of the neck.
Whiplash is not the same as a neck sprain. A neck sprain is damage to the ligaments, the tissues that connect the bones. Whiplash is a strain, meaning damage has occurred in the muscles or the tendons.
If you have been in a car accident you should always visit a professional to have the possible damage evaluated and to record the results of the crash in case you need that information down the road. This medical record is important for insurance companies.
You may not notice the symptoms of whiplash immediately. In an accident or at a sporting event you will have adrenaline pumping through your system and it may take a while before you begin to notice the damage.
Whiplash: What You May Experience
Whiplash can manifest in many ways. You will typically feel pain and notice a decrease in your range of motion. You may feel pain when you tilt your head from side to side, or forward and backward. Your neck will feel tight and you may be able to feel the muscles themselves have knotted up.
You may begin to have headaches after you strain your neck. Often these will feel like they start at the back of your skull. You may feel dizzy or tired. Since the spinal cord passes through the neck, issues with the neck can have results in various areas of your body. Your arms may feel numb or may tingle. Your neck will probably feel tender after whiplash. You may feel tenderness in your shoulders, arms, and back as well.
Learn the symptoms of whiplash so that you are prepared if you or a loved one are ever involved in an accident or sports injury. Whiplash is often ignored or mistreated because people are not always aware of what to look for, or may think that this problem will go away on its own. Ignoring whiplash can lead to chronic symptoms, so don’t wait if you think that you or a loved one have whiplash.
Our office can help identify and treat whiplash. Call us today!
