What is whiplash?
Whiplash is type of injury resulting most commonly from an automobile accident. Due to the force of impact, even at slow speeds, the neck is “whipped” forward and then recoils backward. Quite often the victim of this type of injury does not recall the force being strong enough to cause the type of pain they are experiencing. The kinetic energy generated by two automobiles impacting each other is great enough to create shear forces between bones in the spine so quickly that the stabilizing structures of the spine, such as your muscles and ligaments, do not have the capacity to provide the needed stability to prevent injury. This is why even slow speed impacts are capable of causing serious neck injuries.
What type of injury is whiplash?
Whiplash injuries are generally characterized by neck pain, shoulder pain, and headache. The neck pain is most often resulting from sprains of the ligaments and joints of the neck coupled with strains of the muscles of the neck. The sudden whipping motion of the neck (the cervical spine) resulting from a rear-end impact stretches the muscles beyond their normal, safe length. This causes injury to the involved muscles. Rear-end impacts are more likely to damage the front and back muscles because the neck bends forward and then backward.
Side impact collisions are more likely to damage the muscles on the side of the neck. Often these soft tissue muscle injuries coincide with injuries to the ligaments which protect your spinal joints. Even more importantly, there are many important organs and nerves in the neck which may be injured in these types of impacts. When parts of your neck are injured, this has a tendency to cause pain, numbness, or other issues in the arms and hands.
Shoulder injuries are also common with whiplash. The mechanism of injury to the shoulder is very similar to that of the neck, with the seat belt often being a complicating factor due to the fact that, depending on which seat you are in, the seat belt will restrain half of your upper body more fully than the other half. On top of damage to the joints, ligaments, or muscles, you can also experience bruising or laceration to the skin due to the seatbelt, or even the steering wheel or airbag.
Often, headache is an immediate result of whiplash. This may be caused by the neck and shoulder injury referring pain to the head, or it may be caused by brain or spinal cord injury. Depending on the type of headache, you may need to consult a neurologist to properly treat a persistent or severe headache.
So, to summarize, whiplash injuries often include muscle strains, joint and ligament sprains, and even damage to the other structures within the neck. These injuries can then create problems going into the arms and hands. Headache can also result, and can sometimes be serious or persistent enough to require consultation with a neurologist.
What should I do now if I have been in a car accident and I am experiencing these problems?
First, you should do what you are now doing: researching your symptoms and getting an understanding of the problem. Of course, the Internet is not always a great place to find medical information, so be aware of what you are reading and know that there is a lot of misinformation you need to sort through.
Secondly, once you are comfortable with your own level of knowledge you should consult a good attorney and seek appropriate care for your injury. Chiropractors are experts in treating spinal injuries. Some chiropractors are more focused on rehabilitation of injuries to the spine while others are more focused on wellness. Find a chiropractor that has experience with treating automobile accident injuries, that has physical therapy credentials, and that has experience working with attorneys and personal injury cases. Your chiropractor should have experience in all those areas to ensure they are capable of handling your case.