After a car accident, you may not know the full extent of your injuries until hours days or even weeks after the accident. For example, if you bruised your ribs or strained a muscle in your back due to the impact, the pain may increase as time goes on, along with the general effects on your health and ability to take care of day-to-day tasks. This can also happen with whiplash.
A neck strain, or whiplash, is a common injury in car accidents. This type of injury typically due to the force of the impact, which causes a driver’s or passenger’s neck to suddenly jerk forward or backward. To find out about the symptoms and treatment of whiplash, read further.
Whiplash symptoms
If you are experiencing pain or tightness in your neck, you might have whiplash. Other symptoms include knotted or hard muscles, pain when you move your head side to side or backward or forward. Tenderness in the neck and shoulders is also possible signs of whiplash, as are headaches.
In some cases, the pain can come on immediately, but in others it could take significant time before the injury becomes obvious. Also, the force that causes the neck injury might result in a concussion. If you suspect a concussion, it is important to seek medical help as soon as possible.
Treatment
While whiplash often heals on its own, there are some things that help with the recovery process. Applying an ice pack to your neck for 15-minute increments every three or four hours over a two- or three-day span can reduce the pain and swelling.
A doctor may also prescribe anti-pain medication and anti-inflammatories to help reduce the pain and swelling. When using these kinds of drugs, it is important to follow your doctor’s dosage instructions. If you need neck support, a neck brace or collar may be helpful in the healing process. However, these devices are only for short-term use since using them too long can lead to loss of neck strength.
Keep in mind that, if left untreated, whiplash could lead to long-term neck problems.
If you have been in a car accident and suffered an injury, you might be able to file a claim for compensation that exceeds what the insurance company initially offers. Remember, the insurance company is more interested in making a profit than paying out all that is owed to injury victims. Talk to an experienced personal injury lawyer about your compensation options if you have suffered a serious neck injury due to another driver’s negligence.
