If you have recently suffered a whiplash injury, the good news is that most whiplash injuries can be treated and the victim will often return to normal. Whiplash is a term that is used to describe a number of different injuries to the neck. Whiplash is not a medical term but is a commonly used term that encompasses a variety of injuries. Whiplash is generally caused by sudden extension (backward movement of the neck) and flexion (forward movement of the neck). This type of injury is often the result of vehicle crash. The speed at which the impact happened may make the injury more severe, but even slow impact crashes can result in a whiplash injury. Severe whiplash can also include injury to the intervertebral joints, discs, ligaments, cervical muscles and nerve roots.
Once you have been diagnosed with a whiplash type injury, there are a variety of different treatment options that your doctor may use to treat your injury. Much of the decision regarding treatment will depend on exactly what type of injury you have suffered and the severity of the injury. One of the first things your doctor may do is to fit you with a cervical collar. You may have seen someone wearing one of these in person or on television. The purpose of the cervical collar is to limit the movement of your neck. By limiting the movement you will hopefully prevent further injury or damage to your neck and allow the muscles, ligaments and tendons to begin the healing process. A cervical collar may need to be worn for 2-4 weeks after the injury or longer according to your doctor’s recommendation.
Your doctor may also recommend heat therapy to relieve muscle tension and inflammation. Pain medication and/or muscle relaxants may be prescribed to help with any pain or discomfort you are feeling and to help relax the muscles. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may also be prescribed to help reduce the inflammation caused by the injury. Physical therapy and range of motion exercises may be ordered by your treating physician. At home cervical traction can also be used to help stretch your neck back to where it was before the injury.
If you continue to have pain after a few weeks, your doctor may order more extensive testing to determine whether you suffered a more sever injury to your neck such as a herniated disc. X-rays or an MRI may be ordered by your doctor. If your whiplash injury is actually a more serious injury to your neck then more aggressive treatment may be needed such as cortisone injections into the injury area. Surgery is not usually needed for a whiplash injury; however if the injury turns out to be more sever than initially thought or worsens over time you may require surgery to repair the damage.
If you are concerned you have suffered a whiplash injury, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Once you have started your medical treatment, you should consult with an experienced whiplash injury attorney. In California, the victim of a whiplash injury is entitled to compensation for those injuries. The California whiplash injury law firm of Ledger & Associates has been representing whiplash injury victims for over a decade. If you would like to schedule a free and detailed evaluation of your potential whiplash injury case, please contact the team at Ledger & Associates by calling 1-800-300-0001 or visit them online at www.ledgerlaw.com.
