All About Whiplash

Whiplash, also known as neck strain or neck sprain, can simply be understood as a neck injury. It can result from a Colonia auto accident. It is usually characterized by a number of symptoms that are associated with damage to the neck. In this kind of injury, cervical muscles, nerve roots, ligaments, discs, and intervertebral joints may be damaged. Below is a discussion of some important issues that you should know concerning whiplash.

What Causes Whiplash?

Whiplash can occur in a number of circumstances, but generally, it occurs when there is an abrupt and powerful forward and/or backward movement of the head. In most cases, it results from car accidents.

Symptoms of Whiplash

The symptoms of whiplash may not be evident immediately after the impact. They can start appearing 24 hours or more following the initial trauma. Generally people with whiplash show one or several of the symptoms below:

  • Neck stiffness and pain
  • Headaches
  • Pain between shoulder blades and in the shoulder
  • Low back pain
  • Dizziness
  • Difficulty remembering or concentrating
  • Fatigue, irritability, and sleep disturbances
  • Numbness or pain in the hands and arms

Whiplash Diagnosis

During the examination, the doctor is going to touch and move your neck, head, and arms. You may be required to perform simple tasks so that the doctor can assess your neck and shoulders’ range of movement, the extent of motions that cause you significant discomfort, and tenderness of back, shoulder, and neck.

In most cases, injuries associated with whiplash are on soft tissues such as muscles, discs, and ligaments. Therefore, these injuries cannot be seen through standard X-rays. Therefore, for accurate whiplash diagnosis, it is imperative to go for more advanced imaging tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT scans. These tests can enable the doctor to see the damages that could be causing whiplash symptoms.

Whiplash Treatment

So far, there is no scientifically proven technique for treating whiplash. Therefore, treatment usually revolves around helping patients to manage pain. Therefore, pain-relieving medication, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, are applied. Physical therapy, gentle exercises, traction, ice, heat, ultrasound, and injections have proven to be great for some patients. In the past, these neck injuries used to be treated through immobilization in cervical collars, but today, early movements are preferred to immobilization. Ice should also then be used for the first day, followed by gentle movements.

The Takeaway

Overall, it is apparent that whiplash is one of the common conditions that may arise following an automobile accident. The issue does not have any scientifically proven solutions, and in most cases, treatment has everything to do with pain management. Therefore, if you have been in a car accident and you have some symptoms of whiplash, you should seek the assistance of a pain management specialist. If you are looking for a reliable pain management facility to help with treating whiplash in West Orange, NJ, Sam well Institute of Pain Management is your best bet. Contact them today for more information about their services and practitioners.