Are you unable to move your neck without wincing in pain? The neck is one of the most sensitive parts of your body and, if injured, can make life unbearable. In fact, neck pain is one of the doctors’ most common complaints. Different things can bring about neck pain, including straining, sleeping in an uncomfortable position, stress, injury, and sometimes, underlying illnesses.
That said, one of the most common conditions that affect the neck area is whiplash. This article breaks down a whiplash condition, its symptoms and causes, diagnosis, and treatment. Lastly, we will tell you where you can get effective treatment and relief from whiplash.
What Is a Whiplash Injury?
Whiplash is a neck injury when you move your head backward and then forward suddenly and forcefully. So, the ligaments and muscles that make up your neck’s soft tissues are forced to extend way over the normal range of motion. This sudden jerking can then lead to acute and severe symptoms.
The first definition of whiplash dates back to the late 1920s when it was described as a hyperextension followed by hyperflexion injury of the neck. The injury is more common after a rear-end vehicle collision. However, it can also occur due to other kinds of trauma. Whiplash is regarded as a relatively mild issue. However, it can cause long-term aches and pains if left untreated.
What Are the Symptoms of Whiplash?
Not all pain you may feel in your neck or surrounding areas is whiplash. So, how do you rule out other conditions? While whiplash symptoms can overlap, the main signs to watch out for include:
Neck pain
Stiff or tight neck
Greater pain twhen urning, lifting, or twisting your neck
Reduced neck motion
Frequent headaches that radiate to the back of your head
Severe fatigue
Weakness
Sore or painful jaw, shoulders, arms, or back
Numbness or tingling sensation in the arms
Dizziness
Other less rare signs include:
Visual disturbances
Constant ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
Insomnia
Irritability
Low concentration
Memory issues
Psychological distress
How Can You Get Whiplash?
Besides detecting the signs of whiplash, knowing the possible causes can help you isolate it from other issues. So, what causes whiplash? Whiplash occurs when your neck’s soft tissues overstretch and tear. These tears happen when your neck suffers a severe strain from things like:
Car accident
Physical trauma, for instance, being hit by an object or shaken forcefully
Sports injuries from contact sports like boxing, martial arts, rugby, hockey, etc.
Horseback riding
Falls or collisions when cycling
Heavy blows or trauma to the head with something heavy
Slips and falls that lead to your head jerking forward and back forcibly
Diagnosing Whiplash: How Will Your Doctor Detect It?
When you visit your doctor with neck pain, they will often do a physical examination, where they will check for signs such as neck motion, swelling, or spasms. In most instances, that and the known history of the condition are usually enough for your doctor to make an accurate diagnosis.
However, if the doctor suspects severe pain, numbness, or weakness, they may ask for further testing. In this case, they will use imaging for a more in-depth evaluation. Depending on your doctor’s assessment, it may be an X-ray or Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
What to Expect From the Treatment and When to Get Help?
There are several things to look up to when it comes to whiplash treatment. Let us have a look:
Examination
During this phase, your doctor examines you by touching and moving your head, neck, and arms. They may also ask you to move about and perform various simple activities to check for the following:
- The range of motion in your shoulders and neck.
- The level of movement that triggers pain or increases it.
- Tenderness in your back, shoulders, and neck.
- Your strength, reflexes, and sensation in your legs and hands.
Imaging Tests
Another thing you can expect when you visit the doctor for whiplash treatment is imaging tests. Even though a whiplash injury may not be as evident in them, this is true. All the same, they do it to rule out other issues that cause neck pain or worsen it.
- Imaging tests include the following:
- MRIs
- X-rays
- Computerized tomography
The Actual Whiplash Treatment
Whiplash treatment aims to manage your chronic pain, restore the normal range of movement in your neck, and, importantly, get you back to your pleasant lifestyle. That said, your doctor will recommend a treatment option based on the severity of your discomfort. Here are the treatment options they might suggest for you:
- Physical therapy
- Over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
- Exercise
- Foam collars
- Acupuncture
- Chiropractic care
- Injections
- Psychotherapy
- Massage therapy
- Radiofrequency neurotomy
These are some of the many treatment options your doctor might recommend for whiplash-associated disorders. Besides these treatments, anything you can do to manage your pain will be very useful, including getting enough rest, adopting a good posture, abstaining from smoking, and being active without worsening your pain.
When to Get Professional Help With Whiplash?
It does not take much force to suffer whiplash. Your doctor will ask you questions about the accident and your symptoms to understand more about the severity and frequency of your symptoms.
That said, here are the signs that it is time to get whiplash diagnosed:
- Immediate pain after an accident
- Additional symptoms such as fatigue, arm pain, visual issues, and jaw discomfort
- Worsening pain on your neck or cervical spine
- Numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arms or hands
- You do not recover on time
What a Spine Surgeon Can Do for Whiplash Injuries
Rarely does the treatment of whiplash require surgery. Your spine surgeon will only resort to surgery if your case is severe, for example, when you present persistent neck, scapular, or shoulder pain. They will perform one of these procedures on you:
- Discectomy
- Microdiscectomy
- Percutaneous surgical procedures
Think You Have Whiplash? Get Treatment From the Top Spine Surgeons at New York Spine Specialist
There are a variety of symptoms that can accompany whiplash, some more serious than others. You may experience pain in your neck and shoulders or even have trouble performing everyday tasks. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important to seek help from a spine specialist near you as soon as possible to have your whiplash treated. Our New York Spine Specialist team will work with you to develop an individualized plan tailored specifically towards the needs of each patient- which includes physical therapy and education on how best to avoid future injuries. Our doctors accept no-fault, PIP (personal injury protection), workers’ compensation, and most insurance plans.
Contact us today at (516) 355-0111 or request an appointment.