Whiplash is a neck injury due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck.
Whiplash is commonly caused by rear-end car accidents, sports accidents, physical abuse and other types of traumas. Most people with whiplash related injuries get better within a few weeks by following a treatment plan. There are cases where some may have chronic neck pain and other long-lasting complications.
Symptoms
Whiplash injury signs and symptoms typically develop within days and may include:
Causes
Whiplash can occur when your head is quickly and forcefully thrown backward and then forward. This motion can cause injury to bones in the spine, disks between the bones, ligaments, muscles, nerves and other tissues of the neck.
A whiplash injury can happen various ways:
- Auto accidents – Rear-end collisions are a major cause of whiplash
- Physical abuse or assault – Whiplash can occur if you are punched or shaken
- Contact sports – Football tackles and other sports-related collisions can cause whiplash
Complications
Most people who have whiplash feel better within a few weeks and don’t seem to have any lasting effects from the injury. However, some people continue to have pain for several months or years after the injury occurred.
In general, you may be more likely to have chronic pain if your first symptoms were intense, started rapidly and included a few of the symptoms listed below. There are also other factors that can contribute to a more serious issue.
