Whiplash Injury

Whiplash is an injury that involves the head and neck. There is no actual medical condition called “whiplash.” It’s a colloquial term used to describe neck sprain or strain from the sudden back-and-forth movement of the head and neck during an accident, much like the cracking of a whip. This hyperextension of the neck involves ligaments, muscles, nerves or discs. The formal term for whiplash is cervical acceleration-deceleration syndrome (CAD).

Most people recover from a whiplash injury within the first few weeks. However, if your whiplash injury causes any neurological symptoms, seek immediate medical attention. If you have a pre-existing neck problem and suffer a potential whiplash-inducing incident, you should visit a spine specialist.

What Causes Whiplash Injuries?

The most common cause of a whiplash injury is being struck from behind in a rear-end car accident, in which even low-speed collisions can cause whiplash. The condition can also result from contact sports collisions, domestic violence or assault, and even roller coaster rides. These events can cause intense neck flexion and extension, much like someone vigorously nodding “yes.”

People who do a lot of repetitive, monotonous work are at greater risk for whiplash. These repetitive actions predispose individuals to muscle tightness in general, making them more vulnerable when an accident occurs.

While most people heal from whiplash after a few weeks of following their doctor’s treatment plan, including pain medication and exercise, others face chronic neck pain and lifelong consequences.

Common Whiplash Symptoms

Neck pain and accompanying mobility issues are the primary whiplash symptoms. Most whiplash patients experience mild discomfort and just some limitation of mobility. Overall, whiplash injuries vary significantly in the extent and type of injuries sustained. However, common symptoms of whiplash include:

• Neck pain and stiffness
• Discomfort that intensifies when turning the head side to side
• Headaches starting at the base of the skull
• Numbness and tingling in the arms, shoulder, or upper/lower back pain
• Jaw pain
• Dizziness
• Tinnitus (ringing of the ear)
• Double/blurred vision
• Moodiness, including irritability and depression
• Memory loss
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sleep disturbances

Seek prompt medical attention if your whiplash symptoms linger beyond a few weeks or months.

How Is Whiplash Diagnosed?

While your doctor checks your medical history and performs a physical exam, they will ask what you have been through that might be causing your whiplash symptoms. Your exam will include the doctor moving your head, neck, and arm as well as checking your overall range of motion. While you are moving, your doctor will ask if you feel any increase in pain from particular movements. Your doctor will also check your reflexes, grip strength, and sensation in your extremities.

Whiplash injuries typically don’t require any imaging tests to diagnose, but your doctor may still order an X-ray, CT, or MRI scan to detect other soft tissue injuries that may be aggravating your whiplash.

Whiplash Treatment Options

Most patients recover with conservative whiplash treatment. The goal of treatment is to control pain, restore normal neck range of motion, and get you back to your daily activities as soon as safely possible. Some patients may benefit from temporarily wearing a soft cervical collar.

The doctor will recommend specific neck exercises to extend the range of motion or refer you to physical therapy. Building up neck muscles' strength is critical because whiplash patients are more likely to experience future neck injuries.

Your treatment is entirely dependent on the extent of your whiplash injury, as well as any other injuries you may have sustained.

Whiplash pain persisting for months means that you should undergo more testing to detect the cause of your pain.

Pain Management for Whiplash

Your orthopedist may recommend one or more of the following treatments to control the pain:

• Rest for a day or two after you sustained your injury.
• Apply hot or cold compresses to the neck for 15 minutes every 3 hours to help alleviate discomfort.
• Over-the-counter medications to control mild to moderate pain.
• Muscle relaxant medication in the short term can loosen your tight muscles and soothe pain.
• An injection of lidocaine (a numbing agent) may be used to decrease pain in specific muscles so that you can do physical therapy.

Be aware that muscle relaxants can also make you feel sleepy, which can help you get a good night’s rest after a traumatic injury. However, be careful not to operate heavy machinery or drive a vehicle.

When to See a Doctor for Whiplash

It is always wise to consult a doctor after a whiplash injury to rule out serious injuries, especially if you are in a lot of pain. Please schedule an appointment with your doctor if your mild whiplash symptoms do not resolve within a few weeks of conservative whiplash treatment.

Contact us at Hoag Orthopedic Institute today!

Treatments vary for whiplash injuries depending on your symptoms. Contact Hoag Orthopedic Institute today at (949) 705-6493 to get started on the right treatment plan.

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