Whiplash Symptoms, Injuries, and Treatment: All You Need to Know

The symptoms of a serious injury after an accident are not very evident. While suffering from whiplash, it can take many hours for the pain to develop and become obvious. This is why many people with whiplash often ignore medical evaluation. Keep in mind if you don’t visit the doctor, you are putting your health at risk in the long term. Also, many insurance agencies may argue that you didn’t take adequate steps to alleviate your healthcare finances. This is another important reason why visiting a doctor after whiplash is important.

Symptoms of Whiplash

Below we have listed some of the most common symptoms as a result of whiplash.

• Poor vision
• Fatigue
• Trouble sleeping
• Faintness
• Headache
• Prickliness
• Restricted range of movement in the neck and shoulders
• Neck pain and rigidity
• Tingling or numbness in the arms
• Tenderness in the upper back or shoulders
• Difficulty in concentration

If these symptoms are left untreated, it can result in chronic pain that can considerably affect your health. Seeking an immediate diagnosis and treatment will assist in recovery. If you undergo any of these symptoms after a car accident or sports injury, you should certainly seek medical evaluation right at the moment. Primarily depending on your symptoms, your doctor may carry out diagnostic imaging tests such as MRI, X-ray or CT scan.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Internal injuries are frequently difficult to identify since they are not easily visible or painful like other injuries. Soft tissue injuries such as torn muscles, ligaments or tendons can result in extreme pain if not treated. Luckily, doctors can easily analyze these injuries with x-ray facilities and other medical tools. These injuries are painful so it’s important to get them checked as soon as possible.

Back and Neck Injuries

For the immense effects of a crash, back and neck injuries are very common. Some neck and back injuries as a result of a car accident are fractures, sprains, spine injuries, and disc injuries. Many people assume that these injuries are just temporary. But remember a little soreness can result in critical injury that can worsen if left untreated. With the right diagnoses, neck and back injuries can be treated effectively.

What Should You Do to Treat Whiplash Immediately?

The most important thing you should immediately do after the car accident is to book an appointment and seek medical attention. People with slight or no pain after the accident may feel more tenderness and pain after a couple of minutes or hours. This is mainly for many reasons. Take a look!

• After a car accident, your body discharges both cortisol and adrenaline. These are the hormones that prevent pain so you can effectively react during an emergency. In case these hormones wear off, you will feel the pain that can get more extreme with time.
• On the very first day or night of your injury, you will frequently experience swelling in the injured areas. This swelling is referred to as a protective response by your body. Also, it exerts pressure on injuries that result in stiffness and soreness.
• Many whiplash injuries include subtle soft tissues such as muscles and ligaments. If you are unable to treat the injury immediately, your everyday activities will keep on irritating it and potentially make it worse. This small muscle injury can be devastating over the course of weeks.

Therefore, the best thing you can do after an accident is to acquire medical treatment. If you are suffering from any neck or back pain, visit the doctor or emergency room if required. If you aren’t feeling pain right away, book an appointment to see the doctor the very next day.

Whiplash Treatment

Whiplash treatment mainly depends on the type of injury. Whiplash refers to the sudden movement of the head forward or back during an accident. It can result in several types of certain injuries such as whiplash-associated disorder (WAD). Your doctor will analyze the specific type of pain and recommend certain treatments accordingly.

• Massage treatment
• Physical therapy
• Chiropractic handlings
• Stretches and strengthening exercises
• Wearing a soft cervical collar or neck brace
• NSAIDs and pain medicine
• Use of injections such as epidural to block pain instincts and let tissue to heal 

Any of the above-listed treatments will depend on the types of injuries you have received and the intensity of pain.

Legal Considerations for Whiplash Injuries

Until now we have discussed the health aspects of whiplash and why it’s important to acquire immediate medical attention. On the other hand, getting a medical diagnosis and treatment for whiplash is very crucial when it comes to legal considerations for whiplash. As soon as you have been evaluated by a doctor, you should consider taking legal action if the accident has happened due to the ignorance of another driver. It’s time to acquire whiplash injury treatment Marietta and ensure strengthen your health and insurance case.

After a car accident, you need to initiate the legal process as soon as possible. Though make sure to check the state rules and regulations. If your country allows you to file suit for individual injuries from a car accident, you should immediately write to the other party’s insurance carrier. You need to update the company of your injuries and intent to file suit. Also, you can hire a personal attorney to handle the case for you.

Conclusion

This world is an unexpected place. What if you are driving on the road, you are slowing down the speed in expectancy of the traffic light, though the car behind you is keeping a fast speed resulting in a collision. It only takes a few minutes or seconds for this dramatic change. The rear-end crash’s impact pushes your body forward while the head remains in place and consequently posing a severe threat to your neck. This whiplash injury may have temporary or permanent effects. You may feel the above-discussed symptoms immediately after the accident or after a couple of days or months. Regardless of the situation, all you need to do is consult a whiplash doctor and get yourself treated at earliest.