Whiplash is an injury caused by a violent, whip-like movement of the neck in which it moves first in one direction then suddenly switches to another. It can be backwards and forwards or from side to side, straining and stretching the muscles, tendons and ligaments far beyond their normal limits.
Although the injury is most commonly associated with road-traffic accidents, whiplash can also occur during falls or from involvement in extremely physical sports such as boxing or rugby.
Whiplash causes severe pain and stiffness across the neck area, making it difficult if not impossible to turn the head. The discomfort often extends to the shoulders and upper chest.
Some victims also report tingling in the fingers, back pain or a loss of feeling in their arms as well. Constant headaches are another common symptom. Both debilitating and distressing, the condition often results in substantial claims being made for whiplash injury compensation.
Abnormal Motion
You don’t have to be involved in a high-speed accident in order to suffer a whiplash injury. Even a low-speed collision can create the kind of abnormal motion that leads to damage to the soft tissues of the neck. In extreme cases, there can also be damage to the discs between the vertebrae of the spine.
The pain and other symptoms of whiplash don’t usually appear until between two and 48 hours after the accident and can initially get worse over time rather than better. This makes it important to have a full medical check-up after any incident that could potentially have created this kind of injury. Many victims fail to associate stiffness two or three days later with their accident and treat themselves with over-the-counter medications, which can delay the recovery process. If you have had a previous injury to the neck area or suffer from a condition such as arthritis, this can make whiplash far more severe.
Neck Brace
Diagnosis usually requires nothing more than a thorough physical examination, but if more extensive damage is suspected, X-rays or MRI scans may be needed. Recovering from mild whiplash injuries takes a month or so but in the case of more severe injury, full recovery can take months and sometimes even years.
It is common for those recovering from whiplash to wear a neck brace. The brace reduces the available range of movement to prevent any more damage from occurring during the early course of the healing process.
Healing and Rest
One enormous difficulty when it comes to recovering from whiplash injuries is similar to that experienced by those who suffer minor sprains of the ankle or wrist – the ideal cure is to completely rest the injured body part. But when the injury affects something in constant use, this becomes almost impossible, significantly delaying the healing process.
At the same time, the muscles and tendons need to be kept active otherwise they can become even stiffer. This means that, despite wearing a brace and being encouraged to rest as much as possible, patients must also carry out a program of stretching exercises in order to ensure they regain a full range of motion.
About the author: This article written by Leyla on behalf of Barlow Robbins, specialist spinal injury claim solicitors.
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Credits: Photo courtesy of Tom Sayles.