Why Is Whiplash Pain Often Delayed After an Auto Accident?
At one point or another, just about everyone will likely experience what it is like to be involved in an auto accident. Whether you are driving or a passenger, the overall experience can be very frightening and has the potential to cause serious injuries. No matter what type of car accident it was, one of the most common auto accident injuries is a whiplash injury.
Many whiplash injuries do not manifest themselves right away because of how our bodies react to a scary situation such as a car accident. It takes days (sometimes weeks) for the neck pain, tension, and inflammation to develop, so those involved in rear-end collisions, front-end crashes, or t-bone car accidents must be examined by a medical professional away.
Our New York Spine Specialist experts have helped patients with various severe spinal cord injuries, neck injuries, neck headaches, and whiplash.
It is very common for those who suffered whiplash not to realize that they had even sustained a neck injury until much later. This is why car accident victims should seek treatment immediately to ensure a full recovery and no neck movement loss or issues with their range of motion.
What Is Whiplash?
Whiplash injury is caused when the head is very violently and suddenly whipped forward and backward with great force during a sudden event such as a car accident. Internally, the sudden jerking motion of the head affects the neck muscles and ligaments. These soft tissue areas in the neck can develop small tears and be overextended.
Whiplash is also often referred to as neck strain because of the overextension of the soft tissues. As a result, there will be neck pain, inflammation, and stiffness. Medical treatment will ensure that whiplash symptoms do not worsen or become permanent. Following the accident, the medical attention you receive may involve the placement of a neck brace to prevent further tearing.
Your medical treatment plan may be as simple as wearing a neck brace for a few weeks to ensure that whiplash has not developed over time. Physical therapy could also be recommended to ensure that no issues manifest and you have not lost any range of motion.
You must be taken to an emergency room if neck pain worsens, you cannot turn your head or neck, begin to have tingling in the arms, fatigue, dizziness, numbness, or other severe issues. These could show that a severe whiplash injury develops, and you will need specific treatment.
Common Symptoms of Whiplash After an Auto Accident
Symptoms of whiplash feel different from person to person, making diagnosing the condition difficult. Some patients do not even know that they have an issue until much later. This is due, in part, to the body’s natural fight or flight response that will often block pain impulses until the situation is long over. Then you may begin to feel pain and stiffness, two very common symptoms.
Other common symptoms of whiplash following auto accidents include:
- Headache
- Blurry vision
- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Limited range of motion
- Sensitivity to light
- Nausea
- Ringing in the ears
- Memory problems
- Depression
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
If you are experiencing these or another unusual feeling (such as your arms tingling), contact a medical professional immediately to be checked out. If left untreated, whiplash and other injuries from the auto accident can severely impact your day-to-day life.
Why Is Neck Pain From a Whiplash Injury Often Delayed Following a Car Accident?
When you have been involved in a car accident, some injuries will be very obvious. Broken bones, lacerations, and other injuries manifest immediately and require medical attention as soon as possible. However, other damages such as whiplash take time to develop. Many of these injuries are internal.
We have natural defense mechanisms in our bodies that cause us to only focus on the most necessary actions rather than worrying about everything occurring. Our bodies will release hormones – adrenaline and endorphins – to act as a defense. These chemicals do several actions for us as a way to cope with what had just happened.
Adrenaline activates the body’s natural “fight or flight” response so that you will be ready for the next step. Such things as increasing blood flow to the muscles, increasing oxygen levels, and reducing any pain are all part of the adrenaline coursing through you.
With endorphins, the body experiences a calming effect so that you can remain collected and in control. This helps you better manage your stress levels and pain. When your body calms down from the hormones, and the soft tissues begin to experience the injury, signs of whiplash begin to occur. For these reasons, whiplash does not usually manifest right away.
While you may not feel pain right away following an accident, and you may have no injuries at all, it is still important that a medical expert examines you to ensure that you do not need a neck collar, physical therapy, or other more serious treatment plan options.
Contact Our Spine Experts to Discuss Your Chronic Pain
If you have been involved in a car accident or some other type of accident (such as a slip and fall) and believe that you may have injured your neck or spine, contact New York Spine Specialist. Each doctor on our staff knows how whiplash works, and it’s time for the condition to develop.
Our team is also here to make sure that even if you feel fine at the time of the accident, you do not have to deal with unbearable pain later. If left unchanged, the whiplash you develop could cause even more serious problems for your head, neck, back, and spine. Call today to schedule your appointment.
