Whiplash is a common injury that results from movement of the head suddenly backward and forward, with acceleration and deceleration. Whiplash is known as a hyperextension injury in which the primary problem is the backward position of the neck as some force pushes the torso frontwards. When the victim recovers from this position, the head and neck move to a forward or flexed position it is commonly associated with car accidents, but may be caused by shaking, sports injury or work related mishaps. Whiplash may be the result of a sideways movement of the head.
The experience of a sudden excessive movement of the head, which weighs about 10 pounds, causes strong muscular contraction in the muscles of the neck and movement of the cervical spine, the uppermost part of the spinal column that is joined to the skull by two articulating vertebrae of unusual shape known as the atlas and axis.
The contraction of the muscles of the neck is a normal reaction to abnormal movement and is meant to serve a protective function. The vertebrae of the neck are aligned one on top of the other, held in place or alignment by ligaments, tendons and muscles.
Whiplash movements may damage the discs that form a protective cushion between the vertebrae of the neck. You may suffer injury such as herniation of the disc, which results in nerve root impingement and pain in the area served by the nerve. Sometimes weakness or numbness occurs. The nerve roots of the neck serve the upper trunk and the arms, hands, and fingers.
Whiplash can potentially cause damage to the muscles or ligaments, including partial or complete tear, and muscular spasm may occur most commonly in whiplash injuries. Muscle spasm is very uncomfortable and may result in limitation of range of motion of your neck and head.
Symptoms of whiplash depend upon the force of the injury and will vary in severity, with many patients recovering quickly with conservative treatment and complete resolution of their symptoms. Other patients may experience chronic symptoms for years, including pain and stiffness. Neurologic symptoms from disc impingement on nerve roots that exit the cervical spinal column and innervate the arms and upper trunk may cause tingling, weakness in the hands or arms, and numbness that last for years despite physical therapy. If there is bony injury, such as displacement or fracture of a spinous process, treatment will be more aggressive but surgery is not always successful.
After a whiplash injury, the pain and inflammation increase on the second or third day. Some typical symptoms include, in addition to neck pain and stiffness, shoulder pain, dizziness, headache, TMJ, arm pain and weakness, visual changes, tinnitus (ringing in the ear) and back pain. With chronic whiplash symptoms that don't resolve, patients may experience anger, frustration, depression, stress, drug dependence, sleep problems and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The diagnosis of whiplash is often clinical and based upon the patient's history of the events that led up to the problem, but x-rays of the cervical spine are always necessary to examine any bony fracture or area of potential instability. Soft tissue injuries are best diagnosed by an MRI.
Treatment of whiplash is symptom dependent and there are not adequate studies to confirm the correct treatment. Patient education is very important, as most patients should understand that they have an excellent chance of full recovery. However, with any injury to the neck, a visit to the doctor's office should be scheduled immediately in case of any threatening injury that might damage the spinal cord, such as an unstable fracture. That said, range of motion exercises prescribed by a physical therapist include rotation about ten times per hour within a few days of the injury. Apparently, studies have revealed that immobilization may lead to greater potential for chronic pain and muscular atrophy with decreased blood flow to the injured tissues and shortening of the damaged muscles.
Psychological symptoms should not be ignored, as they can increase and add to your misery. With early and appropriate medical intervention, you should be able to fully regain function.
If you have a whiplash injury and are in need of treatment please visit http://www.spineandsports.com/
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