What is whiplash?

In movies, the alleged traffic accident victim shows up in court swaddled in a neck brace and complaining of whiplash. In the next scene, the character drives away, no neck brace and pain free, after receiving a large settlement from the insurance company.

But, what is whiplash?

Whiplash is a non-medical term used to describe the pain following an injury to the soft tissues of the neck. Whiplash and whiplash-associated disorders are actually terms that encompass a range of neck injuries that are caused by or are related to a sudden distortion of the neck when an abnormal movement or force causes the neck to move beyond its normal range of motion.

Since whiplash is not a medical term, your doctor may use more specific terms such as neck strain, neck sprain, cervical strain, cervical sprain, acceleration flexion-extension neck injury, soft tissue cervical hyperextension injury, or neck hyperextension injury.

Whiplash is most commonly associated with traffic accidents, particularly those in which the driver is rear-ended. However, whiplash injuries may also occur from sudden stops in roller coaster accidents and from blows to the head from bicycle collisions, sports, falls, assaults and even horse riding.

Symptoms of whiplash can vary, but may include

• Pain and aching in the neck and back

• Swelling or tenderness in the neck

• Muscle spasms in the neck

• Difficulty moving the neck

• Shooting pain from the neck into the shoulders or arm

• Tingling in the arms and legs

• Headaches

• Fatigue

• Blurred vision

• Dizziness

Symptoms sometimes appear immediately after the injury, but may not appear until days afterwards. The sooner the symptoms appear, the more likely it is that the injury is serious. Although symptoms may appear in the shoulders, arms and legs, the damage from whiplash is confined to the spinal cord. The most common areas affected are the middle of the back and neck.

If you have been in a car accident, and there is a possibility that your neck has been injured, you should seek medical attention. Seek immediate attention if you have any of the following symptoms as they may be a sign of serious neck injury.

• Neck pain

• Pain in either or both arms

• Shoulder pain

• Headache

• Dizziness

• Weakness, tingling or loss of function in arms or legs

A doctor will do an examination which may include testing for nerve damage, x-rays, MRI’s or CT scans.

Treatment may include massage, physical therapy, ice or heat therapy, bed rest, medication, immobilization of the neck, or bed rest.

Most people recover from whiplash injuries within six weeks. Some people continue to report symptoms even two years after the accident.

Whiplash is one of the main accident injuries covered by car insurance companies.

If you have a spine or neck injury following a Georgia automobile accident, you may not know the extent of your injuries. Seeing a doctor can help.

If the settlement your insurance company offers you is not enough to pay for your medical bills and therapy, seeing a lawyer can be the first step in getting those medical bills paid. Contact Atlanta’s Kaufman Law today. We've helped many people just like you. Our car accident attorneys work with the insurance company to get you full compensation for your injuries, lost wages and suffering.