What is whiplash?
Whiplash is a term that conjures up visions of dramatic long-term problems, wearing neck braces and is commonly associated with chronic pain.
Whiplash symptoms can occur from a car accident, sporting accident or other traumatic injuries.
The name comes from the mechanics of incidents involving sudden acceleration/deceleration whereby the neck is thrown forcefully forward and then backward (hyperflexion and hyperextension). These forces lead to an overstretching and compression of the structures around the neck leading to an inflammatory response of the damaged ligaments, joints and muscles at the front and back of the neck.
Symptoms:
The main symptom of whiplash is neck pain which can be localised to the neck or can radiate to the arms, head or upper back. It may take hours or even a few days for symptoms to become severe. Other symptoms include stiffness or reduced movement of the neck, tenderness along the back of the neck, muscle spasms, difficulty moving the neck around (especially lifting the head off the pillow) and headaches.
All of this is due to the swelling of tissues. So, the quicker we treat the injuries the better.
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Worsening of pain with neck movement
- Loss of range of motion in neck
- Headaches
- Tenderness in arms, shoulders and upper back
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
Treatments for whiplash:
Immediate treatment for whiplash is essential in order to ensure a quick recovery and to stop the condition from becoming chronic. Initially, treatment is focused on reducing pain, inflammation and restoring normal range of motion with manual therapy. Using ice on the area is essential! Applying heat may give pain relief but will not help control the inflammatory response.
Gentle neck range of motion avoiding pushing into the pain is important to help quick recovery, so we no longer suggest neck braces for these soft tissue injuries. Once a more range of motion in the neck is achieved, postural exercises such as Clinical Exercise are important to address the underlying muscle weakness that is present or can form as a result of the injury.
Early treatment is in your best interest to prevent whiplash from becoming a long-term or chronic problem.
What to do if you think you may have whiplash?
Apply ice to the area for 15-20 minutes every hour for the first 24 hours. This will reduce inflammation and any aches or pains.
If symptoms do not reduce after 24-72 hours, book a free initial assessment with a physiotherapist. Your physiotherapist may get you doing certain movements to understand the severity and ask questions to find out how often your symptoms are happening during your assessment. From this, they can provide a diagnosis and offer a treatment plan on how best to treat your whiplash to control your pain, restore normal range of movement and get you back to your normal activities.