What is Whiplash and What Causes It?
Whiplash is a non-medical term referring to the soft tissue injury to the neck. It is also referred to as neck sprain or neck strain. With whiplash, the intervertebral joints between the vertebrae, discs, ligaments, cervical muscles, and nerve roots may become damaged when the head does a backward and/or forward jerking motion like that of a whip. Hence the word whiplash. This is usually caused by an automobile accident where the injured party was rear ended.
What are the Symptoms of Whiplash?
Symptoms don’t necessarily have to begin right away. They can show up 24 hours or more after the trauma has been suffered. These include:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Headaches
- Shoulder pain or in between shoulders
- Pain or numbness in arm and/or hand
- Dizziness
- Irritability, sleep disturbances, or fatigue
Most people recover from a whiplash injury within a few months but some people will experience chronic neck pain and other ongoing complications.
What is the Treatment for Whiplash?
It is important to see a doctor right away when you have suffered this type of injury to make sure that nothing more serious is going on such as a broken neck. There isn’t one specific treatment for whiplash but medication such as ibuprofen, ice and/or heat therapy, moving as you are able to reduce stiffness, physical therapy, massage, or chiropractic care have been shown to be helpful for people suffering from symptoms.
The Advantage Health & Wellness clinic in Morgantown, West Virginia is an all-inclusive primary care spine facility that offers treatment for whiplash. They offer many of the therapies mentioned above.
Contact an Attorney
If you have suffered a whiplash injury because of an automobile accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you should contact an attorney immediately. Insurance companies will want to settle as fast as possible before you realize that you deserve compensation for medical bills, past or ongoing treatments, pain and suffering, and lost wages.
Located in Morgantown, Brewer & Giggenbach, PLLC represents clients throughout north central West Virginia in all types of personal injury cases. Contact us at 304-291-5800 or Toll Free at 1-800-355-9646 for a free phone consultation with a knowledgeable personal injury attorney.