Whiplash
Whiplash is common, affecting millions of people worldwide each year. Whiplash can happen with sudden movement changes in any direction. It can have a wide range of effects. Experts refer to conditions due to whiplash as whiplash associated disorders. Because it involves a neck injury, whiplash may be treated as an emergency condition. Whiplash can affect anyone at any age but is more likely to cause serious or lasting injury in older adults and females. It’s more serious in older adults (over age 65) because they are typically more prone to muscle and bone injuries of any kind. due to age-related muscle and bone deterioration and weakening. Females are more likely to have whiplash-type injuries in car crash. This may be due to shorter height, spine structure differences and less muscle tissue.
Whiplash happens when inertia causes your head, neck and body to move at different speeds. That forces the neck to compress or extend too quickly or in ways that push the muscles, ligaments and bones of the spine beyond what they can tolerate.
The sharper and stronger the movement, the greater the force on the neck. That’s why whiplash injuries can range from minor to severe. However, even weak levels of force can still cause moderate or severe whiplash. Experts don’t fully understand why this happens, but research is ongoing. At its worst, whiplash can break the vertebrae in your neck, creating risk of damage to the spinal cord with its network of nerves.
Causes
Whiplash happens when movement, speed or direction traveling suddenly changes. Some of the most common events or activities that can lead to whiplash include:
- Motor vehicle crashes (most common cause)
- Contact sports such as football, hockey, rugby etc.
- Roller coasters
While these are the most common possible causes, whiplash can happen in many other ways. Even simple slips and falls can cause whiplash under certain circumstances.
Symptoms
The symptoms of whiplash depend on how severe the whiplash was and how severely the neck hyperextended or compressed. The greater the extension or compression, the more severe the injury.
Timing of whiplash injury influences the symptoms. Some symptoms of whiplash begin immediately after the injury while others take at least 12 hours to appear. Sometimes all symptoms may not appear for a full day or even a few days after the injury.
Because whiplash can have various effects, experts created a grading system for the severity of whiplash associated disorders. This grading system known as the Quebec Classification of Whiplash Associated Disorders, is as follows.
- Grade 0 - No injury
- Grade 1 - Pain only
- Grade 2 - Pain plus signs of injury
- Grade 3 - Pain plus signs of injury and neurological effects
- Grade 4 - Severe pain and signs of serious or dangerous neurological effects
Diagnosis
Several tests can be used to diagnose whiplash including:
- X rays
- Computerized Tomography (CT) scans
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Treatment
The goal of treatment is to allow whiplash to heal as much as possible on its own while supporting that healing process and minimizing symptoms. Some people may also need care for chronic issues that happen because of whiplash.
Some treatments for whiplash are most helpful right after the injury, while others are best if used to treat the long-term effects and chronic problems from a whiplash injury. Some can do both. The most common treatments for whiplash include:
- Immobilization
- Medications
- Cold application for the first seven to 10 days. Heat application is recommended after that
- Physical Therapy Exercises
- Medications
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) therapy
- Radiofrequency Nerve Ablation
- Spine Surgery