A car accident is a stressful experience and can leave you overwhelmed, in shock, and even injured. In a traumatic event like a car accident, your body will likely start pumping with adrenaline that helps you continue functioning but can also mask pain and other symptoms of an injury. Car accident injuries are often referred to as hidden injuries with delayed symptoms because of this rush of adrenaline. One of the most common car accident injuries is whiplash and it can come with delayed symptoms that can take hours or even days for you to start experiencing them. One of the lesser-known symptoms of a whiplash injury is vertigo.
How an Accident Causes Whiplash
Whether you are driving or riding in a car, you should always be wearing a seat belt to help protect you in the event of an accident. Seat belts are designed to prevent you from being ejected from the vehicle and help hold your upper body in place from shoulder to hip. However, the head and neck are left vulnerable to the force of impact between one vehicle and another. Whiplash is especially common with fender benders because when a car rear-ends your vehicle it can cause your head and neck to snap violently forward and backward with the force of impact. This type of movement can strain your neck muscles and tendons out of their normal range of motion. A whiplash injury involves soft tissue injuries in the neck, which can include strains and tears to muscles and tendons. Trauma to the neck area can also affect the spine in your neck and cause spinal injuries like misalignments and herniated discs.
Common Symptoms of Whiplash
If you suffer a whiplash injury from a car accident, then you may experience pain in your neck, head, and upper back. Neck pain may include tenderness to the touch and stiff, sore neck muscles. As the injury sets in, you may experience swelling and inflammation in the neck, especially if any soft tissue damage like muscle tears occurred. It can also become difficult for you to turn your head in certain directions due to muscle stiffness, pain, and swelling. Damage to the spine with a whiplash injury can also cause symptoms like nerve pain, tingling, weakness, and numbness. Many people also experience headaches after a car accident and whiplash injury.
Experiencing Vertigo After a Car Accident
In some cases, a person with whiplash may also experience dizziness and disorientation after the accident. Damage to the spine in your neck, known as the cervical spine, can cause uncomfortable symptoms like vertigo. If you have vertigo, then you may feel like the room is spinning and feel unstable on your feet. These sensations can often become worse with certain movements like turning your head and neck. You may also have trouble balancing and difficulty concentrating. Misalignments in the spine or with the spinal discs can compress nearby nerves and lead to vertigo as a symptom of your whiplash injury. Vertigo does not occur with every whiplash injury but it can happen and it helps to meet with an accident doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
Treatment for Whiplash and Vertigo
When you visit an accident doctor after a car accident, they will assess you for injuries and want to know about any pain or other symptoms you have been experiencing. They may also want to run some diagnostic imaging tests like an X-ray to get a clearer picture of any damage to your spine and neck due to the accident. A diagnosis of whiplash with vertigo as a symptom will help inform the most appropriate treatment plan for you. Chiropractors who specialize in car accident injuries like whiplash can help provide you with all-natural and non-invasive treatment for your whiplash injury as well as your symptoms like vertigo. By addressing misalignments in your spine, your chiropractor will be able to address the root cause of your pain and other symptoms. Car accident chiropractors can also address vertigo caused by trauma to the cervical spine. This may include treatment techniques that help to reduce stiffness and tightness in your neck that is making your vertigo and other symptoms worse.
Visit our team at Accident Doctors to get started on treatment for whiplash and vertigo after a car accident. We offer customizable treatment options so you can experience lasting relief from your whiplash injury and vertigo.
