Key takeaways:
Whiplash is an injury that happens when the head quickly “whips” forward and backward.
Whiplash symptoms are painful and can keep you from completing your daily activities.
Treatments for whiplash include gentle stretches, physical therapy, and pain relievers.
If you’ve recently been in an accident and are experiencing neck pain, you might be wondering if you could have whiplash.
Whiplash is a common neck injury, and it’s a painful and disruptive condition. It can be hard to work or go to school with whiplash. It can also get in the way of your daily activities like driving, cooking, exercising, and even typing. If you’re experiencing whiplash symptoms, here’s everything you need to know about how to manage and relieve your pain.
What is whiplash?
Whiplash describes a neck injury or sprain that happens when someone experiences rapid and severe neck stretching. It’s also called “acceleration-deceleration neck injury.”
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You can get whiplash from any impact that causes your neck to forcefully and suddenly move forward and back. This puts a sudden strain on the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bone in your neck.
Most people develop whiplash injury from car accidents. When you get into an accident, your speed changes quickly. The impact of an accident forces an abrupt stop, and your neck can flex forward and snap back.
Sports injuries, like getting tackled during football, can also lead to whiplash. Accidents, like falls and neck trauma, can also cause whiplash.
What is the difference between whiplash and a concussion?
Whiplash is a strain or sprain of the neck. A concussion is a type of brain injury that usually develops after a blow to the head.
Both injuries develop after sudden impacts. So sometimes people develop whiplash and a concussion at the same time. Some studies even suggest that a severe whiplash injury can cause a mild concussion.
What are common whiplash symptoms?
Common whiplash symptoms include:
Neck tenderness
Neck stiffness
Pain with neck movement
Face and jaw pain
Upper back pain
Arm numbness and tingling
Facial numbness
- CyclobenzaprineGeneric Flexeril
- RobaxinMethocarbamol
- ValiumDiazepam
Some people also develop whiplash-associated disorders, which means they experience symptoms like:
Headaches
Dizziness and vertigo
Vision changes
Hearing changes
How do you know if you have whiplash?
You likely have whiplash if both of these apply:
You’re experiencing neck pain or stiffness
You recently experienced an injury that caused rapid forward and backward movement of your neck
About half of people with whiplash start feeling symptoms within 6 hours of their injury. Some people start feeling symptoms a little later. But just about everyone who develops whiplash has symptoms within 72 hours.
So if you haven’t developed any symptoms 72 hours after an injury, you’re not likely to develop whiplash.
11 top treatments for whiplash
There’s no quick cure for whiplash. Your body needs time to heal from the injury. Full recovery can take anywhere from a few days to a month. In the meantime, several treatments can help you stay comfortable.
We’ll cover 11 of the most common treatments that help relieve whiplash symptoms.
1. Heat and ice
You can try heat packs or ice packs to help with neck pain. Wrap the pack in a towel and apply it to the painful part of your neck for about 20 minutes a few times per day. Depending on the time of the day or your activity level, heat may be more helpful than ice — and vice versa.
2. Pain relievers
Over-the-counter pain medications, like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Aleve), can help relieve pain and soreness. You may find one works better for you than the other. You may also be able to use them together. Make sure to follow dosing instructions on the package or discuss the best doses with your healthcare provider.
3. Mobilization exercises
Studies show that mobilization exercises help relieve neck pain and radiating nerve pain. You can work with a physical therapist to perfect your exercises for neck pain. Make sure to start off slowly and always listen to your body. If you’re feeling more pain with exercises, stop and talk to your physical therapist before continuing.
4. Muscle relaxers
A short course of muscle relaxers can also help relieve neck pain. Prescription muscle relaxers might help most right after your injury. There are many types of muscle relaxers, and some might work better for you than others.
5. Massage therapy
Massage therapy can also help with musculoskeletal pain relief. Some experts recommend massage therapy for people who have whiplash symptoms that continue for more than 4 weeks. It’s not yet clear if massage therapy works for everyone.
6. Mind-body techniques
Mind-body techniques are an increasingly popular option to help people navigate medical conditions. Some of the most popular to help with whiplash are yoga, tai chi, and qigong. These techniques help you improve your posture and provide gentle mobilization. They’re part of mindfulness-based stress reduction, which is another important treatment option for whiplash.
7. Acupuncture and dry needling
Acupuncture and dry needling can help with many types of musculoskeletal pain. Studies haven’t proven that these therapies relieve whiplash pain for everyone. But if other options haven’t worked for you, or aren’t giving you enough relief, working with a licensed acupuncture therapist might be right for you.
8. Manual therapy
Manual therapy includes a combination of mobilization exercises, soft tissue therapy, and manipulation. You’ll need to work with a physical therapist for manual therapy. One small study showed that people who participated in manual therapy had faster recovery compared to people who used pain relievers and mobilization exercises.
9. Posture modification
Posture modification helps you avoid further neck injury or repetitive strain injury. While this won’t relieve your whiplash symptoms, it might prevent them from worsening. Posture modification involves avoiding any neck movements or positions that strain your neck. This might mean elevating your computer monitor height or changing your seating position.
10. Percutaneous radiofrequency neurotomy
Percutaneous radiofrequency neurotomy (PRN) is a procedure that removes nerves in the neck. This helps relieve pain. Experts recommend PRN for people who have severe whiplash symptoms that do not get better over time.
11. Soft collars
In the past, soft neck collars were a main treatment option for whiplash. A soft collar holds the neck in a fixed position. Like any other type of brace, this support can help relieve pain and discomfort. But researchers found that wearing a brace for too long can lengthen recovery time.
Experts now recommend focusing on movement but still recognize that bracing provides pain relief. If you wear a soft neck collar, make sure to use it in a way that doesn’t hinder your recovery. That means wearing it for fewer than 3 hours a day and no longer than 2 weeks.
The bottom line
Whiplash is a neck injury that develops after an impact. Whiplash symptoms include neck soreness, stiffness, and pain with movement. There are many treatment options for whiplash symptoms, including pain relievers, physical therapy, and massage therapy.
Some treatment options work better for some people. You may need to use several to get the best results. Whiplash symptoms can take up to a month to completely resolve. In the meantime, treatments can keep you comfortable so that whiplash symptoms don’t get in the way of your everyday activities.
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References
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