Understanding Whiplash and Its Long-Term Impact on Recovery

Check out this go-to guide that explains whiplash recovery after a car accident.

Written by CrashMD staff

Unless you’ve experienced a car accident before, there’s a very good chance that you don’t fully understand and appreciate the pain that comes along with whiplash. Whiplash is an injury that happens when sudden force or movement strains your neck and spine, causing the neck to whip back and forth. This can lead to damage of the bone, muscle, ligaments and nerves. While most cases of whiplash can be treated with at-home care methods or conservative treatment methods, there are opportunities where patients could experience chronic pain that could not only last for months or years, but could also require the need for constant pain management. 

If you have recently been in a car accident and feel that you might have symptoms of whiplash, your best option at recovery is to partner with a trained pain management specialist who can accurately diagnose and recommend the best treatment options to help you get out of pain now and avoid any complications or additional pain symptoms in the future. The goal of all whiplash treatment is to help the patient get back to pre-accident life, and there are steps for treating whiplash that can help the patient do just that. But it’s important to note that early treatment is key! 

What is Whiplash?

Whiplash is a medical condition that happens when abrupt and sudden movement changes force the neck, which is also known as the cervical spine, and upper spine to move in such a way that could reflect in an injured state. While whiplash is most commonly known as a result of a singular event, it can lead to a range of harmful effects. 

Because whiplash involves the neck and upper spine, it is most often considered an emergency situation that requires immediate attention. This means that regardless if you feel minor pain as a result of your car accident, it’s important to get a physical exam by a pain management specialist because you’d want to either rule out an emergency situation or treat an emergency situation. 

Whiplash happens when the force of the car accident causes the head, neck and body to move at different speeds. This allows the neck to whip forward and back too quickly, which affects the muscles, ligaments and tendons in the surrounding area to extend past the point at which they normally tolerate. The faster the impact, the greater the force on the neck, which could result in a greater injury. The best case scenario is that the patient has a minor car accident at a low speed, which results in a minor case of whiplash, or no whiplash at all. The worst case scenario is that the impact of the accident causes whiplash so bad that it breaks the vertebrae in the neck, requiring invasive surgery to repair. 

Whiplash Symptoms

Symptoms of whiplash can vary depending on the severity of the whiplash, which means just how far the neck was extended or compressed, or both. The greater the extension or compression, the greater the injury and the worse the symptoms. 

It’s important to note that whiplash isn’t always immediately apparent. Some accident victims can feel pain immediately, while it could take hours or even days for the symptoms to appear. Of course, the best way to avoid worsening symptoms is to seek professional help immediately after a car accident, that way your injuries can be addressed and promptly treated. 

Due to the fact that whiplash can have varying degrees of injury and symptoms, experts created a grading system. This helps pain management specialists to be able to categorize each individual case of whiplash and determine the necessary treatment. The grading system includes: 

• Grade 0 – no injury, no pain
• Grade 1 – pain, stiffness and tenderness
• Grade 2 – pain that radiates to the head, back and shoulders, as well as signs of injury, including bruising and swelling. A person could also experience muscle spasms at this level. 
• Grade 3 – pain, injury, and signs of neurological damage, which could present as muscle weakness, numbness, burning/tingling sensation, headaches, vision problems, etc. 
• Grade 4 – all of the aforementioned pain and injury symptoms, but with more severe neurological symptoms that could indicate at least one vertebra in the neck is fractured or has slipped out of place, which puts pressure on the spinal cord and/or adjacent nerves

The only effective way to determine which grade of whiplash you are suffering from is to partner with a trained pain management specialist who can accurately diagnose your symptoms. In addition to performing a physical exam, they will also utilize diagnostic tools (X-rays, MRIs and CT scans) to both determine the extent of the whiplash as well as rule out any other conditions or issues that could have resulted from the car accident. Once there is a clear idea of the extent of the whiplash, treatment can begin. 

Whiplash Treatments

While whiplash is certainly treatable, there is no exact cure for the condition. The goal of all treatment is to support the body in its healing process and to minimize any complications as well as pain symptoms. That being said, treatment options range depending on the grade of the whiplash. Due to the fact that some cases of whiplash can lead to chronic pain symptoms, it’s important to have an evaluation immediately after the car accident so you can begin needed treatment to avoid any chronic issues. 

The most often used treatments for whiplash injuries include: 

• Immobilization: using a brace or some form of protective care, such as a cervical collar (C-collar), immediately after the car accident helps to keep the head and neck in alignment, as well as reduce pressure on the neck muscles 
• Medications: depending on the severity of the whiplash, there are a variety of medications that can help to relieve symptoms and help the patient to more comfortably take advantage of additional treatment methods, such as physical therapy. Pain killers can help a person feel more comfortable, while anti-inflammatory medications can reduce swelling and pressing on nearby nerves. Muscle relaxers can also help to reduce muscle spasms, which not only provides relief but also allows the muscle tissues and fibers to heal. If needed, due to severe pain, nerve blocks can prevent pain signals from reaching the brain and can be helpful for people who are experiencing severe symptoms from the higher grades of whiplash. 
• Cold/heat therapy: applying cold packs for the first week or so after the accident can help to reduce inflammation, and then applying heat helps to improve blood flow to the injured area, which helps with healing
• Physical therapy: specific exercises guided by a trained physical therapist will help to strengthen the muscles in the neck and the back, which helps to provide pain relief as well as improve mobility and function

• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy: this pain relief therapy uses a small, battery-powered device to send mild electrical currents to the skin that prevent pain signals from being sent to the brain, which helps to provide pain relief. Most patients report feelings of a light buzzing or tingling sensation on the skin. 
• Radiofrequency nerve ablation (RFA): this minimally-invasive technique uses heat to damage or destroy the nerves that are sending pain signals to the brain, thereby allowing the patient to experience pain relief
• Spine surgery: often a last option for pain management specialists, surgery can be an effective treatment to help stabilize the spine, especially in the case of extreme whiplash that resulted in torn ligaments or fractured vertebrae

With any treatment, there are risks of side effects. This is why most pain management specialists will opt for the most comfortable and non-invasive treatment methods first. If physical therapy and pain medications still don’t provide needed relief, then the specialist could recommend TENS or RFA. It’s important that the patient communicate with the specialist to let them know what treatment is helping, or if the pain is still being felt or is getting worse. 

While whiplash can be treated immediately, there is a chance that patients might need long-term care methods if the extent of the whiplash was so severe that it caused lasting damage. While we hope that is not the case, this is why choosing the best pain management specialist gives the patient the best option for a safe, smooth and quick recovery. Or, in the event that more long-term care is needed, the patient will have a partner through the entire process. 

If you’ve recently suffered from a car accident and are experiencing some neck, head and upper back pain, it’s essential that you seek help from a pain management specialist. Even if you believe that your symptoms are minor or will just “go away,” a pain management specialist is adept at confirming the severity of your whiplash so that you can avoid any worsened complications or chronic pain symptoms that could last a lifetime if not properly treated. Please schedule an appointment with the CrashMD team today if you feel you might be experiencing symptoms of whiplash and would like to learn more about the best treatment options for you. We look forward to hearing from you!