Whiplash is a common medical condition that occurs after a car accident. Doctors first identified the condition back in the 1920s at the same time that vehicles and car accidents became more popular. It causes damage to the bones in the neck, but also damages some of the soft tissue found in the upper part of the human body too. As whiplash causes so much back and neck pain and discomfort, you may want to speak with a doctor at the same time that you talk with your lawyer about filing a suit against the driver who caused your condition.
The primary cause of whiplash is a car accident that involves one driver striking another vehicle from behind. This may occur when you stop suddenly because of an animal or an obstacle on the road ahead of you or because you pulled to a stop at a traffic light or stop sign without the driver behind you noticing that you stopped. The motion forces your head to abruptly move back and then towards the front, which places intense strain on your neck.
Though car accidents are the leading cause of whiplash cases, patients can also suffer from whiplash because of an assault or because they play physical contact sports. The motion of someone forcefully shaking your upper body or a collision that occurs on the field or court can also cause whiplash.
There is a chance that you might suffer from whiplash without even knowing it. While some people experience a small amount of pain and discomfort immediately after the incident, it can take up to 24 hours for symptoms to appear. The most common symptom is neck pain or pain that radiates along the neck and down into the back or shoulders. This pain may intensify when you attempt to move your neck. Many patients also find that they cannot move their necks as easily as they could before, that they experience a loss or motion and that they have intense headaches. Other symptoms of whiplash may include blurred vision, loss of memory, a pins and needles sensation in one arm, and problems sleeping.
Before creating a treatment plan, the doctor will do a complete examination that looks at how well you respond to stimuli and how easily you can move your neck. Doctors will usually recommend a combination of prescription medications and injections that reduce some of your pain and discomfort. Those injections may go directly into the affected muscles and tissues to numb those areas. Chiropractic care can also assist patients dealing with whiplash by guiding your back and neck into a better alignment, which helps reduce some of your symptoms. After an accident leaves you dealing with whiplash, schedule a consultation as soon as possible.
If you have suffered whiplash, contact Allied Pain & Spine Institute today to schedule a consultation.