Tuesday, August 5, 2008

What is Whiplash Injury?

My husband's friend had a total car wreck 4 days ago, he consulted me about his bad neck. He said his neck, sholder, back and head are so sore. And he loss motion of his neck. Giving me all those data, it could be WHIPLASH INJURY. So I told him it is best to consult a doctor to determine the location and severity of the injury and to establish an appropriate treatment plan of care.

What is Whiplash injury?

Whiplash Injury is caused by sudden jerking or relative backward or forward acceleration of the head with respect to the vertebral column. This injury may occur in a vehicle that is suddenly and forcibly struck from the rear. The collision's impact forces the head to hyperextend than the normal range of motion it' is used to be. Causing bone & tissue damage and pain surrounding the neck and shoulder.

A victim of Whiplash may experience some/all of these symptoms:

  • neck, shoulder blades, arm pains
  • headache
  • dizziness
  • soreness of muscles
  • tinnitus
  • vision problems
  • fatigue
  • loss of motion or stiffness of the neck

The initial treatment of whiplash has been soft cervical collar. The goal of the collar is to reduce the range of motion of the neck and to prevent any additional injuries. More recent studies have shown that more prolonged immobilization actually slows the healing process. Early range of motion exercises have a more reliable and rapid improvement of the symptoms. This includes the rotational exercises performed atleast 10 times. Physical therapy can be useful in helping to wean a patient from a cervical collar as well as to help strengthen muscles and reduce painful motions. These are just some basic remedies to lessen the severity of the symptoms.

1 Comment:

JSTBOOK said...

Last month I am getting injured causes of accidents in fast food restaurants are due slipping up because of a greasy or wet slippery floor. according to medical reports rapid movement damage to the neck and upper body. I want to file whiplash back injury claim. Then what should I have to do.