Whiplash: What Is It, Symptoms & Treatment
If you have neck pain and are wondering if you have whiplash, then you’ve come to the right place.
Whiplash is a common injury that affects MILLIONS of people worldwide each year.
Navigating this condition can be confusing and overwhelming.
Here’s a comprehensive list of SOLUTIONS to all the questions you have about whiplash, so you can feel more at ease about managing it.
What Is Whiplash?
Whiplash is an injury to the neck that’s caused by a FORCEFUL and QUICK back and forth movement of your neck.
Common causes of whiplash include motor vehicle accidents, contact sports, and other types of trauma such as a fall.
As a result of whiplash, you can damage structures in and around your neck.
Some structures in your body that can be damaged from a whiplash injury include your spine, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints in your upper body.
What are the Symptoms of Whiplash?
Your whiplash symptoms usually develop within days of your initial injury.
Some common symptoms of whiplash include:
- Pain in your neck, head, shoulders, and/or arms
- Numbness, tingling, or pins and needles sensations in your upper body
- Stiffness and decreased range of motion in your neck
- Muscle tension
- Headaches
- Back pain
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Concentration issues, memory problems, or irritability
Can Whiplash Symptoms Be Delayed?
Although many people know whether or not they have whiplash within the first few days of their accident, it’s also possible for people to develop whiplash symptoms WEEKS or even MONTHS after the initial injury.
In fact, it’s estimated that between 14% to 42% of people who have whiplash after a car accident develop chronic symptoms.
Both immediate and delayed whiplash symptoms feel similar.
Common whiplash symptoms that you could suffer from include pain in the neck, head, shoulders, back, or arms, headaches, stiffness in the upper body, chronic pain, muscle tension, fatigue, difficulties with concentration or memory, irritability, and changes in vision.
Unfortunately, delayed whiplash symptoms aren’t likely to go away on their own.
This is why it’s important to seek medical attention as soon as you notice any whiplash symptoms beginning.
See your doctor, chiropractor, or physiotherapist so they can get you started on a treatment plan right away that’ll help you recover from this injury.
They’ll use a variety of different treatments to help minimize your pain, restore your mobility, and put an end to your delayed whiplash symptoms.
Can Whiplash Cause Long-Term Damage?
Many people who suffer from whiplash get better within a few weeks and don’t have any lingering pain.
Unfortunately, some people can have lingering pain for months or even years after a whiplash injury.
The healing time for your whiplash depends on factors like the nature of the car accident, how severe the initial injury was, your past medical history, your age, and whether or not you saw a healthcare professional for your whiplash injury.
Whiplash can also cause your body to move differently to compensate for this injury, which can cause long-term issues like chronic pain, ongoing changes to your mood, jaw pain, severe and chronic headaches, numbness, weakness, or other sensory changes to your upper body, and dizziness or vertigo.
It’s important to get treatment RIGHT AWAY so that you can fully heal your whiplash injury and minimize the chances of long-term damage to your body.
However, a physiotherapist can still help you recover from your symptoms, no matter how long ago the initial injury was.
They’ll get to the root cause of your whiplash, take a thorough note of all your symptoms, and get you on the right track to full recovery and a better quality of life.
Can I Get a Concussion From Whiplash?
Whiplash happens when your head forcefully undergoes a rapid back-and-forth movement, causing trauma to the structures IN and AROUND your neck.
As a result of this rapid movement, you can also suffer from an injury to your brain that causes a temporary loss in your normal brain function. This injury is known as a concussion.
It’s important to note that although whiplash and concussions are two different injuries, they can happen AT THE SAME TIME.
Concussions and whiplash also have overlapping symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue, mood changes, and pain.
Because these two injuries can happen separately OR together, it’s crucial to get assessed by a doctor, chiropractor, or physiotherapist trained in concussion assessment and treatment as soon as possible if you suspect you have whiplash, a concussion, or both.
Your healthcare provider will diagnose the condition you have and guide you toward the right path to healing your specific injury.
How Do You Diagnose Whiplash?
Whiplash is diagnosed through different assessments and tests.
Your healthcare provider will ask you questions related to your injury, such as what caused your symptoms, when your accident/injury happened, what symptoms you have, what activities aggravate and ease your symptoms, and what your medical history is like.
After getting to know more about the details of your injury, your healthcare provider will ask to see how your body is moving. During this part of the assessment, they’ll be checking to see what your sensation, strength, reflexes, and range of motion are like.
Depending on what they find, they might refer you to take imaging tests to rule out other causes of your pain. Whiplash injuries typically can’t be diagnosed by imaging alone.
Some different diagnostic tests they might refer you to take include:
- X-rays which can find fractures, arthritic changes, and dislocations in your body.
- Computerized tomography (CT) scans which are more detailed than an x-ray and can show cross-sectional images of the bones, soft tissues, and blood vessels in certain areas of your body.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which uses magnets to create detailed images to detect conditions like soft tissue or spinal injuries.
Your doctor, physiotherapist, or chiropractor can all diagnose whiplash and help guide you to the right treatment plan.
How Long Does it Take to Recover from Whiplash?
For most people, whiplash takes a few weeks or months to fully heal under the right guidance.
In other cases, whiplash can persist for YEARS after the initial injury.
So, what’s the difference between someone who recovers from whiplash quickly and someone who suffers from whiplash for a long time?
The recovery time of whiplash depends on a lot of different factors.
You might have a longer recovery ahead of you if you have more severe pain and symptoms, pre-existing health conditions like arthritis or chronic back pain, and other injuries associated with your accident like a concussion.
Even though there are some factors that can prolong your recovery that you don’t have control over, there are things you CAN do to heal from your whiplash faster.
Those who begin treatment early often have a faster and more complete recovery than those who don’t.
This is why it’s SO important to get assessed by a doctor, chiropractor, or physiotherapist RIGHT AWAY, even if you don’t feel immediate side effects after your car accident.
The sooner you’re able to start a guided treatment, the sooner you’re able to return to your regular activities and reclaim a life without pain.
What is the Best Treatment for Whiplash?
Whiplash is a condition that you can have if you’ve suffered from a high impact event like a car accident, contact sports injury, or other traumatic incident.
No matter what the cause was, it’s important to seek treatment RIGHT AWAY to MAXIMIZE your healing, MINIMIZE your chances of developing long-term symptoms, and PREVENT any pain from coming back.
Many people turn to physiotherapists or chiropractors for a comprehensive treatment plan for their whiplash injuries.
The best treatment plan for your whiplash depends on what symptoms you have.
However, many effective whiplash treatment programs include a combination of a few of the following treatments:
- Physiotherapy for whiplash
- Chiropractic for whiplash
- Massage therapy, myofascial release, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), shockwave therapy, ultrasound, cold and heat therapy to RELIEVE your pain immediately and PREVENT it from coming back.
- Laser therapy to heal neck, shoulder, and back pain related to whiplash.
- Soft tissue therapy to decrease tension, repair damaged muscles, and increase blood flow in your body.
- Joint mobilization to help correct stiffness and restore any loss of mobility in your neck or other joints in your body affected by whiplash.
- Acupuncture and dry needling which to improve blood flow, promote healing, and decrease soreness from whiplash.
- Yoga, pilates, and therapeutic exercise to improve your flexibility, reduce the risk of re-injury, increase your strength, and get you moving again without pain.
Bracing and Kinesio Taping to provide you with extra stability to do your everyday activities while your body’s healing from whiplash.
How Can Physiotherapy Treatment Help With Whiplash?
Physiotherapy is one of the BEST treatment options to help you make a full recovery after suffering from whiplash.
A physiotherapist is a SKILLED and TRAINED professional in treating issues of the human body.
If you suspect that you have whiplash, see a physiotherapist so they can perform a thorough physical examination and diagnose your injuries.
During this physical examination, they’ll see how your body is moving, check where your pain is, and then identify any injuries that require treatment.
You’ll then get a treatment plan that’s tailored toward helping you recover from your specific injuries and get you feeling your best again.
Your unique treatment plan will include treatments like massage therapy, joint mobilization, exercise therapy, stretching, acupuncture, myofascial release, electrical stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, shockwave therapy, heat and cold therapy, and bracing, which will help to:
- Increase the range of motion of your neck and shoulders
- Promote blood flow and increase healing in your body
- Improve numbness, tingling, or pins and needles sensations in your upper body
- Decrease your muscle tension
- Alleviate your neck, shoulder, or back pain
Ultimately, your physiotherapist will be there to guide you every step of the way to help you recover from your whiplash in the QUICKEST and BEST way possible!
Can a Chiropractor Help Treat Whiplash?
Yes! Chiropractors can help reduce pain and restore movement in your joints after a whiplash injury.
Common treatments that chiropractors use for whiplash include:
- Spinal manipulations or spinal adjustments where the chiropractor will gently and quickly move your bones so that any movement restrictions in your body are corrected.
- Soft tissue therapy where muscle tension in your body is loosened to relieve your pain, fix any tightness in your body, and help your body heal.
- Electrical stimulation where electrodes are placed on your body to deliver electrical signals that promote pain relief, circulation, and muscle recovery.
- Strength, flexibility, or stabilization exercise programs to re-introduced pain-free movement into your life.
Your chiropractor will also be available to guide you to a gradual return to your regular activities while treating your whiplash.
They’ll listen to you to find out your personal goals and help you get back to your normal level of functioning as quickly as possible, whether it be returning to school, work, sports, or other hobbies!
What are the Best Exercises for Whiplash?
A whiplash injury can give you bothersome pain that makes it hard for you to do your everyday activities.
In fact, many people get pain when they’re sitting, standing, moving, reaching overhead, and moving their necks.
Here’s a list of the BEST exercises that you can do AT HOME to reduce your pain, decrease stiffness, and help you heal your whiplash injury!
Neck Mobilization
Neck Stretch
Your neck can be tight and stiff because of whiplash. This neck stretch can be done while standing WITHOUT any equipment to help strengthen your neck and improve your range of motion!
- Turn your head to one side as far as you can without pain.
- Move your head down while maintaining this turned position. Think about bringing your nose to the corner of your shoulder.
- Hold this stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat this stretch 3 times and repeat it on the other side! Do this exercise 1 to 2 times a day or as tolerated.
Neck Release
Neck and shoulder tension is common after a traumatic injury like whiplash. This muscle tension can lead to tender spots in your body that can get worse over the course of your day.
This exercise helps to release tension in your neck. All you need is a lacrosse or tennis ball!
- Lie down on a firm surface such as a floor.
- Take your ball and place it on the middle of one of your shoulder blades near the top of your body in this position. You should feel some pressure in your shoulder blade from the ball but not pain.
- Then, face your palm toward your body and slowly raise one arm up while looking in the opposite direction. Move your head back to neutral as you raise your arm down.
- As an added challenge, you can raise your head slightly off the bed to feel more tension as demonstrated in the below video.
- Repeat this exercise 5 to 10 times and then do it again on the other side. Perform this exercise 1 to 2 times daily or as tolerated.
Wall Angels
After whiplash, it’s common to suffer from tightness in your upper back, shoulders, and the rest of your upper body. This exercise aims to restore mobility and get you moving better.
- Stand against a wall. Make sure that your head, upper back, shoulders, glutes, and heels are touching the wall.
- Place the back of your hands beside you so that they’re in alignment with your neck. Reach your arms up as high as possible while keeping your elbows, wrists, and hands against the wall. Make sure you’re not arching your back!
- Slowly lower your hands to the starting position.
- Repeat this exercise 5 to 10 times. Perform this exercise 1 to 2 times a day or as tolerated to see improvements in the mobility of your upper body.
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Please note that you should stop the exercises if they irritate your whiplash symptoms and bring on any additional symptoms such as pain.
These are all general exercises to help treat whiplash at home and relieve your discomfort.
However, whiplash treatment DOESN’T just end at exercising.
You should see a professional like a physiotherapist or chiropractor to get a PERSONALIZED treatment plan that involves addressing all the muscles, joints, and other systems in your body that may have been affected by your whiplash injury.
Book an appointment with a physiotherapist or chiropractor NOW so that you can get your whiplash injury solved as soon as possible and get you back to your life before pain.
This blog was written by Anna Zheng, a Physiotherapy student at the University of Toronto