This type of injury can occur, for example, during rear-end automobile collisions.
Injuries range from mild to severe. The main symptom is pain in the neck and shoulders.
Treatment typically begins with over-the-counter pain relievers and ice. If the pain persists, treatment can include physical therapy and prescription medications. In rare cases, injections into the neck may help.
Common
More than 200,000 cases per year in US
Usually self-treatable
Usually self-diagnosable
Lab tests or imaging rarely required
More common in females
Short-term: resolves within days to weeks
Urgent medical attention recommended
Common for ages 40 and older
Whiplash is a neck injury due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, like the cracking of a whip. Whiplash most often occurs during a rear-end auto accident, but the injury can also result from a sports accident, physical abuse or other trauma.
Common signs and symptoms of whiplash include neck pain, stiffness and headaches. Most people with whiplash get better within a few weeks by following a treatment plan that includes pain medication and exercise. However, some people have chronic neck pain and other long-lasting complications.
Whiplash may be called a neck sprain or strain, but these terms also include other types of neck injuries.
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Headache
- Shoulder pain
- Visual problems
- Tinnitus – ringing in the ear
- Dizziness
- Concussion
- Neurologic symptoms- mainly in the arms – numbness, tingling and pain
- Sleep disturbances
- Memory and concentration loss
- Sudden forward and backward movement of the neck
- Motor vehicle accidents is the most common cause
- Safe driving
- Strengthening exercise
- Chronic pain syndrome
- Depression
- Disability
Diagnosis involves history of neck injury and physical examinations.
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