What are whiplash injuries?

Whiplash is a sudden, moderate-to-severe strain affecting the bones, discs, muscles, nerves, or tendons of the neck.

Whiplash is usually confined to the spinal cord, and the most common areas of the spinal cord affected by whiplash are the neck, and mid-back.

Whiplash is mostly associated with motor vehicle accidents usually when the vehicle has been hit from behind. The term whiplash is non medical. Whiplash injuries are caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head, either backward or forward.

Sometimes whiplash injury symptoms appear immediately after an accident. However, sometimes they do not develop until hours, days, or weeks after the injury occurs.

Whiplash injury symptoms include:

• pain or stiffness in the neck, jaw, shoulders, or arms
• headache
• low back pain
• numbness in an arm or hand
• dizziness
• nausea and vomiting
• fatigue & inability to sleep
• ear ringing/blurred vision
• difficulty concentrating or remembering

Whiplash hurts and is extremely painful…pain that is debilitating.

Because whiplash injuries occur in soft tissues, they cannot be seen on standard X-rays. CT scans or MRIs are required for diagnosis.

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