Accident and Trauma? Know the Signs of Whiplash

Many people experience minor accidents at home and on the road. These minor accidents might seem harmless, but sometimes it can cause minute trauma to the body and would not manifest its effects until after several years. One of these can be whiplash.

Whiplash typically occurs after the neck is subjected to some kind of trauma, usually from auto accidents. However, it could likewise occur with physical abuse such as after being punched or having your shoulders shaken violently, a sports injury, and even a significantly jerky rid at the amusement park. All these could result in intense extension and flexing of your neck.

Common and Not-So Common Signs of Whiplash

When you have a whiplash injury, it means that certain structures in your neck such as nerves, discs, muscles, and ligaments are damaged. In most instances, a tiny vessel in the neck would tear following an accident, which then discharges inflammatory substances that cause pain and swelling. According to many physicians and chiropractic therapists, the following whiplash symptoms normally manifest within a day following the trauma, but might sometimes take days or weeks to become truly noticeable:

• Pain and stiffness in the neck;
• Loss or reduced range of motion in the neck;
• Significant pain when moving your neck and/or shoulder;
• Pain and/or tenderness in your shoulders, arms, and/or upper back;
• Headaches that seem to originate from the base of the skull;
• Dizziness
• General malaise; and
• Unusual sensations in the neck and/or arms such as numbness, prickling, burning, or tingling.

Some individuals have likewise reported these uncommon whiplash symptoms:

• Depression
• Blurred vision
• Sleeping issues
• Tinnitus or ringing ears
• Irritability
• Los of focus
• Nervousness
• Forgetfulness

People might experience different kinds of symptoms, as it all depends on what kind of accident and the circumstances that made it possible. If you were involved in an automobile accident, the risks are higher, and it’s a possibility that you might have whiplash.

How to Know If You Have Whiplash

You need to undergo various imaging tests, including an X-ray, a CT scan, or MRI or magnetic resonance imaging if your doctor suspects whiplash. But it’s vital to know that majority of people’s imaging results come back normal because their injury is sort of concealed within neck structures that can’t be easily seen.

This means that your specific symptoms would be the most helpful way to determine if you have a whiplash injury. With this in mind, the only way to tell for certain if you suffer from whiplash is to consult an experienced doctor that would review your symptoms and the circumstances of your injury, along with several test results that would focus in that particular area.

An accident, whether major or minor, can affect our bodies if not immediately, then soon. Minor fractures and wounds could lead to more serious injuries, and could even expose serious diseases that we did not know we had. It is best to always consult a doctor and undergo the proper tests to make sure your body is indeed unscathed.