How to Treat Whiplash

Whiplash occurs when an injury -- most commonly a rear-end car collision -- causes rapid movement of head and neck, resulting in trauma to neck muscles and ligaments. Pain from whiplash can be chronic and sometimes difficult to relieve. Don't ignore whiplash that persists longer than a week.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pain reliever
• Heating Pads
• Heating pads
• Chiropractor
• Cervical collars

1. Take an analgesic like aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Whiplash pain is often the result of inflammation of the muscles and ligaments that support the neck, and sometimes an over-the-counter pain reliever will offer quite effective relief.

2. Apply cold compresses or ice to the neck and shoulders on and off for 20 minutes intervals in the first 24 hours after injury. Don't apply the ice directly to the skin; wrap the compress or ice bag in a towel.

3. Maintain good posture. Don't slump or scrunch down into an overstuffed recliner. Avoid doing any type of body movement that would aggravate the already inflamed neck muscles and ligaments.

4. Rest. This protects the injured muscle, tendon, ligament or other tissue from further injury.

5. Make an appointment with your doctor for a steroid injection, usually into your neck. This injection is often administered through flouroscopy -- a type of x-ray.

6. If you are unable to hold your head up, consider getting a soft, cervical collar. You can pick these up at your pharmacy or medical supplies store.

7. See a physical therapist about neck muscle strengthening exercises. The stronger are your neck muscles, the less prone to inflammation they will be.

Tips & Warnings

• The medical term for whiplash is cervical acceleration/deceleration (CAD) trauma and can often be diagnosed through CAT scan, magnetic imaging and/or ultrasound.
• Headache and shoulder pain are often symptoms that accompany whiplash.
• Uncomplicated whiplash, that is, whiplash not associated with additional trauma like vetebral disc involvment, takes up to 6 weeks to heal.
• When in doubt, see a doctor. What you might attribute to "only whiplash" could actually be a pinched nerve or damage to your spinal column -- both of which could develop into paralysis.
• Children that complain of neck pain or headache, even after a car accident, should be seen by a pediatrician.

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