Blog Post
4 Common Questions About Whiplash
Admin • Jan 13, 2020
Whiplash is a common injury associated with car accidents, and even after treatment, it can leave you with symptoms like chronic pain and limited mobility. Regardless of whether or not you were in a car accident, if you believe you may have whiplash, you need to learn everything you can to better protect yourself and future health. Check out these four commonly asked questions regarding whiplash.
2. What Are the Symptoms of Whiplash?
3. How Is Whiplash Treated?
4. Are There Long-Term Complications?
The trick to whiplash is starting treatment fast and sticking to it. Unfortunately, treatment may be delayed, and your symptoms may simply be too severe to fully regain your full range-of-motion. If the whiplash actually caused injury to the spine like a fracture, your risk of osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis increases.
However, even with good treatment, many patients still have some whiplash symptoms years after their injury. In fact, a study in 2005 revealed that 71 percent of people in the survey still had whiplash symptoms seven years after the accident. Long-term symptoms of whiplash may include stiffness, back pain, jaw pain, headaches, blurred vision, constant weariness and weakness in arms and legs.
While many people get whiplash from car accidents, any action that suddenly causes your head to snap forward and backward can cause whiplash. Whiplash can often leave long-term symptoms, including arthritis. If you would like to know more about whiplash injuries, or if you need help getting a fair settlement for your whiplash, contact us at Borbi, Clancy, Patrizi, LLC, today.
1. What Causes Whiplash?
Whiplash is caused when your head is suddenly forced forward then backward. This jarring motion strains the joint, muscles, and ligaments in your neck. In most cases, whiplash is associated with car accidents because many accidents (rear-end collisions, in particular) cause this motion. The accident doesn't even have to be severe to cause whiplash as many people suffer whiplash from accidents at 5 to 10 miles per hour.
Other accidents and injuries can cause whiplash, such as falling from a high point. People who play high-impact sports like football also have a higher risk of whiplash injuries. The older you get, especially if you have other complications like arthritis, the easier it is to experience whiplash injuries.
2. What Are the Symptoms of Whiplash?
Symptoms of whiplash can appear immediately after the injury, but for many people, it takes up to 24 hours before they even realize anything is wrong. Initial symptoms may include neck pain and stiffness, causing limited mobility. Because of the tight muscles and ligaments, you may also experience headaches and/or dizziness.
In severe cases, the pain can radiate down into the shoulders or lower back. Some whiplash injuries may put pressure on nerves, which can cause numbness or tingling in the arms and hands.
3. How Is Whiplash Treated?
Your doctor will a plethora of information to diagnose your whiplash. First, the doctor will ask about your symptoms and perform a range-of-motion test. In mild cases, this may be enough for your doctor to diagnose, but if there may be further underlying damage, such as a fracture, the doctor may also use X-rays, CT scans and/or MRIs to diagnose the whiplash.
Treating whiplash, however, is not as cut and dry. While injuries from whiplash happen fast, the recovery process can be slow because you have to regain your normal range of motion with stretches and exercises. Some patients even need physical therapy treatments.
As your whiplash heals, you may experience mild to severe pain, which can helped with heat/cold and over-the-counter pain medications. If your pain is severe, talk to your doctor about prescription pain medications and/or muscle relaxants to help loosen muscles.
4. Are There Long-Term Complications?
The trick to whiplash is starting treatment fast and sticking to it. Unfortunately, treatment may be delayed, and your symptoms may simply be too severe to fully regain your full range-of-motion. If the whiplash actually caused injury to the spine like a fracture, your risk of osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis increases.
However, even with good treatment, many patients still have some whiplash symptoms years after their injury. In fact, a study in 2005 revealed that 71 percent of people in the survey still had whiplash symptoms seven years after the accident. Long-term symptoms of whiplash may include stiffness, back pain, jaw pain, headaches, blurred vision, constant weariness and weakness in arms and legs.
While many people get whiplash from car accidents, any action that suddenly causes your head to snap forward and backward can cause whiplash. Whiplash can often leave long-term symptoms, including arthritis. If you would like to know more about whiplash injuries, or if you need help getting a fair settlement for your whiplash, contact us at Borbi, Clancy, Patrizi, LLC, today.