Definition
Whiplash is a
term that describes injury to the neck that occurs as a result of a motor
vehicle or car accident. The most common type of car accident is the rear
impact, and most typically, the occupant in the vehicle that gets "rear-ended"
(hit from behind) is at the greatest risk of injury, including whiplash.
The most common symptoms are
- Pain in neck/across shoulder
- Pain in arm/shoulder/wrist
- Tightness Limitation of motion
- Discomfort aggravated by motion
- Tingling sensation
Other associated symptoms include:
- Headache/Dizziness
- Ringing in the ears with other audio or visual
disturbances
- Varying degrees of anxiety
Compounding the possibility
of severe whiplash injury is the automobile accident that occurs on icy roads
when the driver is already tense, or the accident that happens as a result of
driver fatigue and momentary inattention to the road and other
traffic.
Tension keeps muscles shortened and tightened, highly
susceptible to injury. |
Whiplash
Until recently, the reason for the extent of whiplash injury was poorly
understood. In addition, due to the legal and insurance issues, the veracity of
complaints of neck pain and other symptoms by people who suffer from whiplash is
commonly viewed as suspect.
However, recent research has helped clarify why occupants struck from behind
experience more extensive whiplash injuries than those in other types of
crashes. This new information is important for the physician treating these
whiplash problems, as it impacts the physician’s case management strategy. In
fact, whiplash injuries can be quite complex and may include a variety of
related problems, such as
- Joint dysfunction
Disc herniation
Faulty movement patterns
Chronic pain
- Cognitive and higher center dysfunction
Mechanics of Whiplash
The sudden jarring crack of whiplash may cause injury from moderate to
severe, to the intricate bones and muscles of the cervical spine.
When
the bones of the neck move out of normal position, it causes a restriction in
the opening between them where the nerve and blood vessels are passing through.
This may result in an irritation to the nerves and interference with nerve
transmission and blood supply vital to body function. This so-called pinching of
nerves may cause reduced function or, depending on severity, complete
dysfunction of the area of the body governed by the impulses from the affected
nerve.
If the whiplash causes construction of the blood supply to any
area of the body, a variety of problems may result. Indeed, pinched nerves
and/or constructed blood supply nay masquerade as a number of illnesses; in this
case, the organ supplied in signaling its distress. |
