Whiplash

A whiplash injury usually occurs as a result of a collision such as automobile accidents, sports injuries, and even falls. Whiplash is an injury to the neck caused by the sudden movement of the head backward, forward, or sideways.

Whiplash causes instability of your spine and soft tissue that may cause dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, tinnitus, migraines, headaches, blurred vision, vertigo, trouble concentrating, and insomnia. It may also cause neck and upper back pain that may also present with pain or numbness in the shoulders, arms, and hands. It can cause low back pain and sciatica which can reduce your ability to turn and bend.  It may also cause a disc to bulge, tear or rupture.

One thing about whiplash is that you may not feel any symptoms until your body adapts which can occur weeks or even months later. Following any kind of collision, it is a good idea to be examined by a chiropractor to be aware of any damages that may have been caused.

A chiropractor would perform adjustments to help normalize spinal function. After a thorough case history and examination, the doctor will recommend a series of visits to help restore proper motion and position of spinal bones. If it is caught early enough, inflammation can be reduced and scar tissue can often be minimized.

Whiplash can take time to heal depending on how the injury affected your spine during the collision. It can also take a little while longer depending on your state of health. It may take a couple of months to years for your spine to heal from a whiplash injury. Whiplash injures can affect your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and even your disc.

When going through whiplash, your body is going through three phases. The phases are the inflammatory phase, repair phase, and remodeling phase. The inflammatory phase takes about three days, the repair phase takes six to eight weeks and the remodeling phase can take up to a year or longer. For more information on the three phases please see the whiplash video on the bottom of the page,

It is very important to get rid of the pain following an automobile accident, it is also very important to correct the biomechanical injuries and restore the ranges of motion. Please remember an untreated biomechanical injury may not heal optimally and can result in years of pain. A chiropractor who practices biophysics may be able to restore your neck or low back curve to where it once was after you have overcome the acute phase of your care.

Make sure you consult a chiropractor before depending on addictive pain medication or submitting to surgery.


The use of a cervical pillow can further weaken supportive muscles and actually lengthen recovery time. I would try to avoid using one if it is not needed.

This would also be a good time to take in your antioxidants, drink plenty of water and supplement Vitamin C.