How to Identify Whiplash

Common area for whiplash

You have been in a car accident or in a sports mishap. The next day, you are feeling pains in your neck. It may be a whiplash. The term whiplash was first used in 1928 to describe a common soft tissue neck injury, which is also called a neck sprain or neck strain.

Instructions

Look for Signs of Accident Impact

1. Be aware of any aches or pains or unusual dizziness even several days to a week after your accident. Symptoms such as neck pain may occur immediately after the injury or could be delayed for several days or even months. Other symptoms other than neck pain include headaches, dizziness, burning or prickling of the neck area, and shoulder or back pain. Sometimes, people experience problems such as memory loss, difficulty concentrating, nervousness, irritability, problems sleeping, fatigue, and depression.

2. Schedule an immediate examination by a back specialist if there is any question of having the whiplash. A visit to a healthcare provider may be useful even if there does not appear to be any concern. Because whiplash injuries may not show up immediately, it is sometimes helpful to stay on the safe side and be checked.

3. Treat the whiplash injury if necessary. Treatment can include wearing a collar, using heat therapy to relieve muscle tension and pain, taking pain medications such as analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or muscle relaxants, exercising and physical therapy.

4. Go to a healthcare provider if symptoms continue or worsen after 6 to 8 weeks. You may need to get x-rays or have other testing if the whiplash is worse than thought. Serious neck extension injuries such as whiplash can damage the intervertebral discs of the back. When this occurs, surgical repair of the discs may become necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Although most cases of whiplash come from car accidents, it is also possible to get whiplash from sport injuries. For instance, you can get whiplash snowboarding, boxing, playing football or doing gymnastics. It even is true that a very violent sneeze can cause whiplash. If any pain occurs after an injury or violent motion, see a healthcare professional.