The most common injury treated by car accident doctors is whiplash, even when the crash was at a low speed of 30 miles per hour or less. The sensitivity of the ligaments and tissue in the neck leave it extremely susceptible to damage. Unlike other car accident injuries, whiplash can be tricky to identify, as symptoms may be delayed for days or even weeks, meaning it is important to proactively seek treatment after an accident. When whiplash goes untreated, it can allow the symptoms to worsen or exacerbate other injuries in response to the damage, which can have short-term impacts on your health and even lead to more chronic issues.
Understanding Whiplash
While most people have heard of whiplash, many don’t fully understand exactly what this injury is. The damage that can happen in a short period of time to the small area of the neck is beyond the scope of what some people assume. Even a small accident, or one that occurs when going very slowly, can lead to long-term issues as a result of whiplash.
Whiplash usually occurs when your vehicle is either stopped or traveling at a sustained rate of speed before being hit from behind or the side. This impact causes your body to jolt forward and for a split second, your head remains stationary. Then, as your body stops moving, your head whips to catch up, which causes damage. The body is not meant to jerk in this way, and the tissues and ligaments in your neck are moved beyond their normal capacity, leading to strains or tears.
While this is a common injury in a rear-end collision, any quick and short movement like this can cause whiplash, including sports injuries and falls.
Short-Term Consequences of Whiplash
Symptoms of whiplash may appear right after the injury occurs, but more often than not there is a delay. This can be a few hours, but it can also be weeks before you truly notice the damage. Whiplash that has recently occurred and not yet been treated can result in the following issues:
- Headaches (typically beginning in the base of the skull and radiating downwards)
- Migraines
- Neck pain
- Mid-back or lower back pain
- Shoulder pain
- Loss of mobility in the neck and shoulders
- Confusion
- Exhaustion
- Ringing in the ears
- Visual disturbances, including blurred vision
- Temporal Mandibular Joint Pain (TMJ)
It is important to realize that, when left untreated, these short-term consequences may not ever resolve themselves. More likely, they will worsen over time or lead to other injuries that have long-term consequences. The longer duration between your injury and treatment, the more likely you are to have multiple symptoms that require more complex treatment. However, with proper ongoing treatment, the majority of people see these symptoms disappear eventually.
Long-Term Consequences of Whiplash
When left untreated or without proper care, whiplash can lead to the following issues:
- Permanent neck impairments
- Permanent postural impairments
- Ligament injuries
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Degenerative Joint Disease
- Ringing in the ears
- Diminished eyesight
- Temporal Mandibular Degeneration
- Recurring headaches or migraines
- Chronic neck pain
- Chronic back or shoulder pain
- Confusion
- Exhaustion
When symptoms persist beyond 6 to 12 months, this is referred to as chronic whiplash condition. This is more common in cases where treatment was delayed or protocol was not followed, but can also appear in very severe cases. These are also risk factors for the recurrence of whiplash once the original injury has healed.
Treating Whiplash
When you visit a doctor after an accident, there is likely no outward indication of whiplash, and you may or may not be exhibiting symptoms yet. The provider may ask for information about your accident and medical history in addition to performing a physical examination to determine if whiplash is possible. You may be sent for diagnostic scans to rule out other issues like fractures, but whiplash itself will not be visible on most scans.
Even a minor case of whiplash will be treated seriously by your provider. The existence of any small symptom can lead to others and cause a snowball effect which leads to other serious health issues. A simple headache can cause migraines, which impact your ability to perform daily tasks. This can then lead to TMJ problems or leave you with permanent ringing in your ears. The best way to prevent these long-term effects is to seek early preventative treatment after a car accident.
