Whiplash

When the body or the head faces a sudden jolt or a quick movement, the tendons and ligaments of the body or the muscles of the neck are damaged. This condition is what is known as Whiplash. It leads to a stiff neck, painful movements and sometimes even lack of moving capability. It can also cause headaches, shoulder or arm ache, and spasms in the muscles.

This condition can be seen most often when a person suffers an accident where the head is jolted about, but it may also occur from long-standing neck damage.

Symptoms of whiplash

The symptoms of whiplash are not seen when the accident or jolt happens, but starts to show only after about 6 to 12 hours of the event, and can become worse as days go by. The most general symptoms of this condition are: –

• Swelling in the neck.
• Neck ache and neck stiffness.
• The back of the neck bec0oming tender
• Neck becoming rigid.
• Headaches
• Lower back pain
• Numbness or painful feeling in the hands and arms
• Dizziness
• Spasms in the muscles
• Swallowing problems
• Blurry vision
• Tinnitus

Whiplash may at times lead to memory loss, decline in concentration and also an irritable nature.

Causes of whiplash

The main cause of this condition is when the body or the head experiences a sudden jolt or a quick jerk like reaction, making the head move away from its normal position very violently. This leads to the neck muscles, the tendons and the ligaments straining them, and can also cause them damage. The most common way for this to occur is by accidents and head injuries.

Other causes are: – an abrupt hit to the head by any object; repetitive injuries to the neck, long-term abnormal positioning of the neck; slipping down of falling down and hitting the head. In young children, harsh shaking of the shoulders in the form of an abuse can lead to whiplash.

Treating whiplash

The first thing to do when faced with this condition is to place an ice pack on the injured area. This assists in reducing the swelling of the area, but one must ensure that the ice is wrapped in a cloth so that it does not come into direct contact with the skin. It should be applied for about ten to thirty minutes at a stretch. A painkiller may also be taken like paracetamol or ibuprofen, which will lessen the pain and swelling as well.

Exercising the neck or head or the injured area will also help once the pain and swelling has subsided. Therapy with osteopaths, a chiropractor or even a good physiotherapist will help in ensuring the condition doesn’t last. Treatments like ultrasound or massages are always advised by the doctors after such a condition is cured.

Preventing whiplash

The best way to try and prevent whiplash is by ensuring your head is protected all the time, and especially while driving make sure the headrest supports the head well, so that it does not jerk backwards in case of a crash. However, it is not possible to completely avoid this condition, as there can be accidents occurring in daily life.