Health Direct

First things first – what is a definition of a whiplash injury?

Whiplash injury is a layman term for a sudden distortion of the neck and the surrounding areas. It is a common injury in car accidents of all kinds and in other activities that can put a sudden huge strain on someone’s neck (for example – a huge concert, falls from heights etc.). Whiplash is a very colloquial term, but due to the fact the condition is not researched fully, “whiplash” is a commonly accepted name for it.

How do you know you suffered from a whiplash?

Diagnosing a whiplash might be hard, as there are many symptoms related to it and not all of them appear at the same time. The most common one is, of course, a constant neck and back pain – if you were a victim of a car accident or a train collision or you are sure you have strained your neck recently, this pain might be the result of a whiplash.

Here’s a list of the most common whiplash symptoms to make it easier for you to recognize it:

• Constant neck pain

• Back pain (especially in the middle of the spine)

• Shoulder pain

• Recurring headaches

• “pins and needles” felt in the neck and shoulder area

The most common situations in which a whiplash can occur:

• Car accidents (especially a collision hitting the back of the car that causes a sudden neck strain – the process is also called CAD, or Cervical-Acceleration-Deceleration)

• Train accidents (collisions, sudden stops etc.)

• Huge strains on neck (head banging during concerts, falls straining the neck and back)

If the pain lasts longer than a day or two it is best to see your doctor immediately – the symptoms may get much worse than that.

Furthermore, the quicker you are diagnosed with whiplash injury, the sooner you can claim compensation for it. Whiplash is one of the most common physical injuries and as such, courts are used to such cases and the rulings are usually swift. You just need to contact a good medical solicitor who will guide you through a whole process.

Whiplash rehabilitation process

Time to cure whiplash symptoms vary greatly between the victims and the methods for cure are also different – in some cases a physical rehab, exercises, regular back massages and other default back pain injury treatments are sufficient, while in some more severe cases a long physical treatment, pain medication regimen and even surgery are needed. The whole treatment may be subject to a damage claim for whiplash, so the victims don’t have to pay for the treatment themselves.