The term “whiplash” refers to a neck injury caused by a sudden distortion, twisting or thrust of the neck. Whiplash is commonly seen as a result of motor vehicle accidents, but can be incurred in other ways including extreme sports, on rides like roller coasters, or from falls.
It is typically incurred when one is jolted or hit from the rear and the head “whips” abruptly back and sideways. Whiplash is best described as a sudden extreme strain to the muscles, bones and nerves in the neck.
In vehicle accidents, whiplash can occur at speeds of less than fifteen miles per hour. Speed of injury then is not so much a factor as is the force of impact.
What Can Cause Whiplash Neck Injury?
In theory, a whiplash injury results from unexpected hyperextension of the spine, which may cause injury to the vertebrae, and soft tissues including muscles, spinal discs, ligaments and even nerves.
When whiplash occurs in a motor vehicle accident, it is often called a cervical acceleration-deceleration injury.
In some cases, a severe whiplash incident can include injury to the brain; the brain is bounced inside the skull, hitting against one side and then the other.
It is also understood that certain upper back and shoulder muscles may become overstressed or torn, leading to shoulder injury along with neck injury.
Signs and Symptoms of Whiplash
Symptoms of whiplash can appear directly after the injury. Often though symptoms are not felt until days later. The most affected areas are the neck and middle of the spine. Symptoms can include:
- pain and ache in the neck and back
- associated pain in the shoulders
- pins and needles feeling in the arms and legs
- headaches
What Happens in the Neck When Whiplash Occurs?
The neck is made up of seven bones, referred to as the cervical vertebrae. The first two cervical vertebrae, called the atlas and the axis, directly support the head and allow for movement from side to side (cervical rotation to the right and left), as well as forward and backward movement (cervical flexion and extension).
When an incidence of whiplash occurs, it can be understood as happening as follows:
- Initially, the neck is stable and there is no force on it.
- Unexpected forceful pressure impacts on soft tissues of the neck. The cervical spine deforms into an S-shape and the whole neck is hyper-extended.
- Suddenly the whole neck and head movement is stopped or limited.
- The neck and head rebound and return to the original position.
If the hyperextension exceeds the physiological limits of the spinal discs and vertebrae, then injury occurs. A bulging or herniated disc can develop. There can be tears in the ligaments. Most whiplash injuries happen in C-5 and C-6.
Diagnosis of Whiplash
A spine expert such as Dr. Nusbaum, director of Back Clinics of Canada, can diagnose a painful neck condition through patient history, head and neck examination, X-rays and, if necessary, an MRI.
If you have been in a recent car accident and are suffering with low back pain or neck pain, you may have whiplash. Help is available through the High Performance Healing System,™ a proprietary system developed by Dr. Nusbaum and only available at Back Clinics of Canada.
Over the years nearly 20,000 treatments have been delivered by Back Clinics of Canada, with overwhelming success and many of them with a diagnosis of “whiplash” to the neck or back. Back Clinics of Canada is fully equipped to treat neck injuries like whiplash with safe, non-surgical, drug-free care which may include Class IV K-laser therapy, non-surgical Spinal Decompression and Nutritional Supplementation.
