Whiplash injuries can be quite debilitating… Find out below
How does a whiplash injury occur?
Usually, whiplash injuries occur as a result of a sudden impact from behind, such as being rear-ended in a car.
How does a whiplash injury affect me?
Whiplash injuries can result in damage to the neck, specifically, the muscles, ligaments and the cervical vertebrae. Some people who were in car accidents may not experience any symptoms. However, others who have symptomatic whiplash injuries may experience one ore more of the following symptoms:
- whiplash associated headaches
- pain in the head and neck
- tightness of the neck muscles
- reduced movement of the neck
- dizziness
- nausea/vomiting
- pain in shoulders or arms
These symptoms may occur immediately after the incident, or even years after the initial trauma.
How do you determine the extent of my injury?
Damage may be undetectable with MRI or X-ray. However, depending on your presentation, our headache clinicians will perform a thorough, careful assessment of your body. This include performing range of motion tests, manual examination, muscle tests and neurological tests (if necessary).
Consult a healthcare professional if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- your symptoms are getting worse
- you experience numbness, pins and needles or tingling in your arms or legs
- you have trouble going to the bathroom
Reference
Healthdirect.gov.au. (2017). Whiplash symptoms. [online] Available at: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/whiplash-symptoms [Accessed 25 Nov. 2017].