What is whiplash?

Whiplash is a relatively common injury that occurs to a person’s neck and head are suddenly forced backward and then forward, putting the cervical spine through lightning-quick motions and extreme stresses. Whiplash most often occurs during a rear-end auto accident, but the injury can also result from a sports accident, physical abuse or other trauma.

Symptoms

Common symptoms related to whiplash included:

  • Neck pain and stiffness
  • Headache
  • Shoulder pain and stiffness
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Jaw pain (temporomandibular joint symptoms)
  • Arm pain
  • Arm weakness
  • Visual disturbances
  • Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
  • Back pain.

In a more severe and chronic case of “whiplash associated disorder” symptoms may include:

  • Depression
  • Anger
  • Frustration
  • Anxiety
  • Stress
  • Drug dependency
  • Post-traumatic stress syndrome
  • Sleep disturbance (insomnia)

When Whiplash Is Serious

Anyone who experiences physical symptoms after a motor vehicle accident is advised to see a specialist doctor for check-up and treatment. However, any of the following signs require immediate medical attention:

  • Severe pain
  • Neck instability
  • Pain, tingling, numbness, and/or weakness that radiates into the shoulder, arm, and/or hand
  • Problems with balance or coordination
  • Mental health issues, such as increased irritability, depression, trouble sleeping, reduced concentration, or other drastic changes in behavior

Seeking treatment early for whiplash is recommended. Delaying treatment can reduce its effectiveness in some cases.

Biomechanics

The process of a whiplash injury sustained in a car accident can vary depending on many factors, including the angle of the collision. Usually the collision happens from behind, resulting in a whiplash injury that can be considered to occur in five general phases:

  1. Car gets hit from behind, which causes the seat to push against the back. The spine then gets loaded with forces that compress the cervical spine upward against the head.
  2. The torso (in contact with the seat) continues to accelerate forward but the head (not in contact with the seat yet) does not. As a result, the cervical spine’s natural C-shape (lordosis curve) temporarily becomes an unnatural S-shape. The abnormal compression and shearing forces can potentially damage intervertebral discs, facet joints, and other neck structures.
  3. Person’s head slams backward into the accelerating seat. Soft tissues at the front of the neck are likely to be injured here as the neck rapidly extends backward.
  4. The head bounces off the seat and now accelerates forward.
  5. The seatbelt restrains the body (likely preventing a much worse injury) and the neck rapidly flexes as the head whips forward. Soft tissues at the back of the neck are likely to be injured here.

While the severity of the car crash usually correlates to the severity of the whiplash injury, there are exceptions. Sometimes a sturdy car does not crunch up and thus shows no significant outside damage, but the forces that were not absorbed by the car exterior were instead transferred through the seat and thus caused worse whiplash. Also, whiplash injuries have been recorded in incidents where the speed at impact was less than 10 miles per hour.