Whiplash Injury (Neck Strain): What It Is, Symptoms & Treatment

Whiplash, often known as a neck strain, is an injury that occurs due to sudden and rapid backward and forward (or vice versa) movement of the neck. In this condition, the neck ligaments and muscles are stretched beyond their normal range, leading to a sprain. It can also affect structures such as the discs, muscles, nerves, and tendons of the neck. Common causes include road traffic accidents, physical abuse, sports injuries, or trauma such as a fall. In many cases, a soft neck collar may be recommended to provide support and limit neck movement during the healing process.

Although its symptoms usually go away on their own, still proper treatment might be required at times for chronic cases. Read on to learn about the symptoms & treatment for whiplash injuries.

Symptoms Of Whiplash Injury

Neck strain’s symptoms are dependent on the fact that how badly your neck got compressed. Some individuals start experiencing them as soon as the accident takes place, while for others it might take some time for the symptoms to appear. Medical experts have created a grading system called the whiplash scale (QTF-WAD). Under it, four grades are there based on the symptoms. 

• Grade 0: No pain or injury.

• Grade 1: Pain, stiffness, and tenderness around the injury might be there, without any physical sign of injury.

• Grade 2: Along with pain, stiffness, and tenderness, some signs of injury might be there, like swelling, bruising, and muscle spasms.

• Grade 3: Pain plus signs of injury would be there combined with some signs of neurological effects like numbness, tingling, vision problems, trouble swallowing, headaches, muscle weakness, vertigo, and more.

• Grade 4: Fractures or dislocations might be there with severe pain.

Treating Whiplash Injury

The kind of treatment plan that you would be required to follow will be based on the severity of your injury. For it, the healthcare provider will do the diagnosis of exclusion, i.e., ruling out serious cases of the injury. In general, tests carried out for it include X-rays, computerized tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Based on the results of the diagnosis, the treatment would be based. For some, medicines work fine, while others might be required to follow a combination of pain medicine and exercise.

Have a look at what all forms of treatments are used for treating a neck strain.

1. Foam Collars/Neck Support

This is also referred to as the immobilization technique, under which a neck support for whiplash is used. The neck support might be in the form of a cervical or a foam collar. The collar has a rigid frame that holds the head and neck in place, keeping the neck and spine intact. Using it, the neck muscles also stay safe from carrying the weight of the head. Experts suggests it be used as soon as the injury takes place. Still, it must not be used for an extended period of time.

2. Hot And Cold Treatments

If the complications you face for neck strain aren’t that serious, hot and cold treatment might be used. For the first 10 days, cold packs should be used that would aid in decreasing inflammation and swelling. Then a hot pack should be used that would offer gentle heating and warmth to the injured area, helping better the flow of blood and promoting healing. Try putting the pack in every 15 minutes for improved chances of recovery.

3. Exercise

The concerned healthcare expert might suggest you different stretching and movement exercises that would help you restore your original range of motion. It also helps to strengthen the injured area and saves it from stiffening up. Try doing the prescribed exercises in the prescribed manner, but don’t put extra pressure on the neck.

4. Medications

The doctor would either prescribe you pain relievers or prescription medicine like painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxers, and nerve blocks that would help you recover soon and will aid you in pain management as well. It all depends on the type and seriousness of the problem that you would be having.

5. Physical Therapy

Along with exercise, therapists might also use physical therapy techniques like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy and radiofrequency ablation. These are proved to be effective in stimulating the blocked nerves and easing the pain due to whiplash.

6. Surgery

Although surgery for whiplash is rare, it might be necessary in many cases. It’s required in instances wherein non-surgical treatment isn’t effective enough or the individual has suffered fractured vertebrae, dislocation, or torn ligaments. 

Closing Thoughts

You can’t control the severity of the complications that would be there after suffering from a Whiplash Injury. But what you can do is start the treatment as early as possible so as to stop the symptoms from worsening any further. Ensure you are taking the right measures for its treatment, which consists of using a whiplash neck collar by SNUG360, doing the prescribed exercises regularly, and taking the medications at the right time.