Whiplash Neck Symptoms
Whiplash is a condition that manifests in your neck, often following an automobile accident. The symptoms can be debilitating and only get worse over time. This article describes whiplash neck symptoms and how to identify them.
Whiplash Causes
Whiplash is a collection of symptoms that arise from major trauma to the neck. Typically we think of the head being thrust backward in a rear-end collision. However, the same sort of neck injury can result from mishaps in sports or any abrupt motion that thrusts your head backward.
There are other causes of whiplash, such as a blow to the face or head. Whiplash can also be caused by a sudden, accidental shove from behind.
Onset of Symptoms of Whiplash
The onset of whiplash neck symptoms may not manifest immediately after an accident. Rather, you might begin to see problems arise anywhere between 12 and 24 hours after the trauma event. However, if you are in a rear-end collision and your neck is snapped back, you should seek a consultation from a healthcare professional.
If for some reason you are unable to see a doctor or other professional, make sure to treat your neck with great care. There is no reason to make a bad situation worse. Some things you should avoid after a rear-end collision, or any neck-snap event:
- Sleeping with multiple pillows.
- Extended periods in a hunched posture, as in staring down at a phone.
- Wearing a heavy helmet or headgear which can cause compression of the cervical spine. If any activity causes discomfort to your neck or shoulders you should cease immediately. If this discomfort is new and follows a traumatic incident, you may be experiencing the onset of whiplash and need to see a healthcare professional.
What are Whiplash Neck Symptoms?
After you experience a rear-end collision or otherwise have a head/neck-involved injury you should be on the lookout for whiplash symptoms. While it is recommended that you consult with a professional immediately following the incident, you can monitor the situation. Make sure you don’t aggravate the situation by compressing your neck with heavy objects or helmets and avoid sudden head movements. If you experience any of the following whiplash neck symptoms after a car accident, then you need to make an appointment with a professional:
- Stiff neck
- Neck pain
- Escalation of neck pain, combined with increased stiffness
- Headache that starts at the base of your skull
- Pain in your shoulder or arm – possibly referred pain from a nerve injury in your neck
- Low back pain
Often, patients with whiplash pain symptoms experience such discomfort and stiffness that they can barely turn their head without extreme pain. If you must move your torso in order to look to either side, you may be experiencing whiplash. In other words, if your shoulder begins to ache and feels injured when you know that’s not the case, this could indicate a herniated disc in your neck which would require a visit to your physician. The shoulder pain is called referred pain and can become quite severe.
Some patients notice their shoulder pain moving down their right arm. Thus, whiplash symptoms can manifest in the upper arm, forearm, and hand. Since nerve pain seldom progresses in a linear fashion, you might experience pain in your shoulder and then in your hand, but then in your shoulder only, etc.
What to do Next for Your Whiplash Symptoms
Therefore, when you have determined that you have whiplash symptoms, you should verify your condition with a healthcare professional. For proper diagnosis, you will need an X-ray or CT scan to assess the damage. You can also consider the following treatment options:
- Massage Therapy
- Chiropractic Care
- Acupuncture
- Apply heat and ice in alternating 15-20 minute intervals
Alice Palmeri, LMT works in Southwest Portland, Oregon where she specializes in massage therapy for everyone. License # 23983
Sources
https://www.mayoclinic.org/
https://www.spine.org/
