Whiplash injury is a type of neck injury caused by sudden movement of the head forwards, backwards or sideways. It occurs when the soft tissues in the neck become stretched and damaged (sprained) because of the sudden movement.
The pain from a whiplash injury is often servere and acts to immobalise a person, preventing them from doing ordinary, daily activities.
For many people, a whiplash injury can take weeks or months to recover, however, for some people it can last much longer. Symptoms of whiplash include:
- neck pain and tenderness
- neck stiffness and difficulty moving your head
- headaches and memory loss
- muscle spasms
- pain in the shoulders and arms
- pins and needles in your arms and hands,
- tiredness and poor concentration
- dizziness and irritability
Typically, it takes several hours for the symptoms to develop after you injure your neck. The symptoms are often worse the day after the injury, and may continue to get worse for several days. Common causes of whiplash include:
- road traffic accidents and collisions
- a sudden blow to the head – for example, during sports such as boxing or rugby
- a slip or fall where the head is suddenly jolted backwards
- being struck on the head by a heavy or solid object
Whatever the cause, Community Physio Ltd. can help to provide relieve and treatment for a whiplash injury. We are experts in physiotherapy, and this will help to restore movement and function when someone is affected by a whiplash injury. Our treatment can also help to reduce your risk of injury or illness in the future!