Whiplash is quite a commonly seen injury at Motion Physio Clinic, Prosperous. It occurs due to a sudden acceleration and deceleration of the neck causing rapid movement of the body. It is usually due to a motor vehicle accident, but can be seen after a fall or after a sporting incident. Whiplash can affect the joints, muscles, ligaments and nerves. Due to the complexity of the injury it can prove difficult to resolve pain and restore function quickly.
Pain can come on straight away, or it can start several hours after the incident. Duration of symptoms is variable, from a few days to several months. The severity of the mechanism of injury can prolong the symptoms.
Symptoms include:
- Neck, spinal pain and spasm
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Pains down the arms or legs
- Blurred, abnormal vision
- Ringing in the ears
- Shoulder pain
- Jaw pain
- Fatigue
Early intervention with your Chartered Physiotherapist will help your recovery. Your Chartered Physiotherapist will assess your injuries, and start you on a course of movement exercises that will lead to a more rapid recovery. They will have a treatment approach that may include massage, acupuncture needles and a guided exercise programme.
Resting your neck and keeping it immobilised has been shown to increase symptoms long term, so it is best to keep your neck moving as much as possible, remembering that any pain you are experiencing is normal and will not cause further damage. Therefore, the use of cervical collars has been shown to be ineffective in the recovery of the injured neck. Chartered Physiotherapists are highly trained to provide expert care for all our patients, and will prevent a whiplash injury developing into chronic pain.
Your Chartered Physiotherapist will guide you back to full pain free movement and work with you to restore full activities. If you need help with a whiplash injury, please contact me at Motion Physio Clinic, Prosperous on 045 841010.
