Whiplash is an injury to the neck as the result of rapid and forceful movement of the neck that causes the head to be quickly whipped backwards and then forwards again, similar to the cracking of a whip. Through this motion, various components of the neck can become injured, include the vertebrae, the disks between the vertebra that provide a cushion, muscles, ligaments, nerves and any other neck tissues. It is an injury that is commonly associated with rear-end car collisions due to the abrupt motion of both cars when one hits the other from behind. Whiplash is not just associated with car accidents though – it can also happen from other causes. These causes include contact sports such as football or hockey and physical abuse or assault such as when a person is punched or shaken, or any other trauma that causes the head to whip from front to back, such as a fall. Shaken baby syndrome often has signs of whiplash.

Symptoms of whiplash are not often felt immediately and develop usually within a few days of the injury. Whiplash symptoms can include:

– Stiffness and pain in the neck
– Pain worsening when the neck moves
– Decreases range of motion in the neck
– Headaches, typically radiating out from the base of the skull
– Pain or tenderness across the upper back, shoulders or arms
– Arms feeling number or tingly
– Fatigue
– Dizziness

Additional symptoms that can be signs of a serious case of whiplash, or a different issue caused by whiplash, and should be checked out by a doctor can include:

– Blurred vision
– Ringing of the ears
– Interrupted sleep
– Irritability
– Problems concentrating
– Issues with memory
– Depression

Your doctor will perform an exam to determine if you do have whiplash and also test your ability to complete everyday simple tasks. They may perform one or more types of imaging tests as a means of narrowing down the likelihood of you having whiplash by ruling out other conditions with similar symptoms.

Doctors can treat patients with moderate to severe cases of whiplash once they have confirmed the diagnosis. Doctor assisted and supervised treatment can include prescription medication, physical therapy with a licensed physical therapist or specialized pain treatment. There are many different treatments that your doctor can recommend for you in order to help you manage the pain, such as:

– Rest is recommended for the first day or two following your injury, however it can delay recovery if you get too much rest.
– Applying heat or cold to the neck for 15 minutes at a time, in 3 hour increments to help ease the pain.
– Over the counter pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help manage mild to moderate pain symptoms.
– Prescription medication can be prescribed by your doctor for more severe pain.
– Muscle relaxants can be used to loosen muscles that have tightened up and relieve pain.
– Injections can also be used to numb painful areas in order to be able to complete physical therapy.

There are three main goals with whiplash treatment:

– Control the pain
– Restore the full range of motion in your neck to what it was before getting injured
– Return to the normal activities you were doing before your injury

Every individual who experiences whiplash will have their own unique treatment plan based on how they got the injury, what their symptoms are and how severe their injury is. In mild to moderate cases, treatment can be completed at home through rest, ice and over the counter pain medications. In more severe cases, patients can receive treatment through their family doctor or an urgent care doctor who can treat them or refer them to a specialist trained in whiplash cases. Dr. Steven L. Remer, M.D and our multidisciplinary medical team at American Pain and Wellness specialize in whiplash treatment and we care about your health and well-being. Contact us through our website and let us help offer effective whiplash treatments. We are also accepting new patients. We serve patients from Allen TX, Plano TX, Fairview TX, McKinney TX, Parker TX, Lucas TX, Murphy TX, Frisco TX, Richardson TX, and Collin County Texas.