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One of the most common types of personal injuries is whiplash. Victims of auto accidents and other types of crashes can sustain whiplash. This happens when the soft tissue in the neck is injured by the neck being extended suddenly. Whiplash is not a serious injury and many can overcome it within a few weeks to a month. However, whiplash does in fact cause injury to other areas of the body, such as the discs, cervical muscles, ligaments, intervertebral joints, and the nerve roots.
When in an accident, it is always very important to be fully checked out by the attending paramedics and possibly travel to the hospital for more testing. Most auto accidents result in some type of pain or injury that occurs from sudden movement or stopping. The signs of an injury, such as whiplash, might not appear for a few days after the accident has occurred. It is possible that when a person has whiplash they are unable to move their neck and must sit out of work and put off regular everyday tasks.
What Symptoms Come With Whiplash
There are several occurrences where whiplash has led to other pains and injuries such as back pain, shoulder pain, headaches, stiffness, dizziness, and myofasical injuries. There are other issues that might come up if one suffers from whiplash such as problems with sleeping, fatigue, loss of memory, depression, and problems trying to concentrate for more than a few minutes at a time. All of these symptoms are serious and must immediately be diagnosed and treated by a professional to minimize the risk of suffering. Brain injuries can also come from whiplash. For this reason, among many others, when you or a loved one has become a victim of a car crash, seeking medical attention immediately is important.
How is Whiplash Treated?
There are several medications that are prescribed to a sufferer of whiplash. These can include pain medications, antidepressants, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Those who suffer from whiplash often receive a collar. This cervical collar helps to protect their necks from further damage as well as giving them neck support to heal. Although it must be worn for up to four weeks and can prevent regular movement, it has been proven to work. All of these treatments seem to work for the majority of the patients with whiplash. However, some patients have reported a few months after the healing process that they still experience headaches and some pain.