Whiplash injuries : claim compensation
Whiplash is an injury that occurs from a sudden backward jerking of the head, affecting the soft tissues of the neck - the most common of car crash injuries. Whiplash injuries are very common, always a surprise and rarely the fault of the victim. Most whiplash injuries are minor and heal within a few weeks with the proper care. Unfortunately, a small number of patients - about 20 to 30% of whiplash injury cases - become chronic and lead to long-term discomfort.
Whiplash consists of some classic symptoms. Sometimes these symptoms occur immediately after a car crash and other times they may take weeks or even months to appear. Here's a list of the most common whiplash symptoms:
- Headache
- Neck pain
- Dizziness
- Shoulder pain
- Jaw pain
- Arm pain
Are these symptoms familiar?
- Claim compensation.
- The key to recovering quickly from your whiplash injury is to understand how it occurred. Your body was not designed for the abnormal motions that occur during a collision.
- Normally, when your head moves forward and backward, all of the vertebrae participate equally and safely in the motion. Whiplash, however, is not normal motion. During a collision, which takes place in about the same time as a snap of your finger, your head is thrown backwards so forcibly and quickly that your body does not even have a chance to respond.
- Let's look at what happens to your neck during the four phases of a car collision:
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Phase 1 You're sitting in your car, with your head and neck positioned normally. This is what your neck looks like, just before the collision. |
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Phase 2 Immediately after impact, the car seat shoves your back and chest forward. This results in your spine straightening. This rapid straightening creates a great deal of pressure on your neck joints. |
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Phase 3 Next, within just a fraction of a second, your head and neck are thrust backwards, while your chest is still moving forward. These two parts of your body are yanked in opposite directions. This results in sharp bending in just one or two joints in your neck. Instead of the joints moving together, all of the stress is focused in one small area of your spine. |
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Phase 4 Finally, your head is thrown forward, ending the whiplash motion. |
Why your body hurts...
All of the most common symptoms of whiplash can be traced either directly or indirectly to the trauma your neck experienced.
There are three major types of injury that whiplash can cause, and these are muscle injury, nerve injury, and facet joint injury. Let's look at each, and see how these injuries affect your recovery and treatment.
Muscle Injury
Most whiplash pain involves muscle tissue, since it is the most easy to damage in a rear end collision. During the impact, the muscles in your neck are stretched beyond what they normally experience. Muscle damage is accompanied by swelling and tenderness of the muscles in the neck and shoulders. Fortunately, muscle injuries heal quickly and usually don't require extensive, lengthy treatment.
Nerve Injury
Just as muscles are stretched during the rapid motion of whiplash, so are nerves. Most nerves are able to handle such motion. But if your head is turned or if your head restraint is not adjusted properly, a nerve can be stretched too far or pinched. Nerve damage can be slightly more difficult to treat than muscle damage. Time is the best treatment. In some cases, nerves that are trapped by bones or muscles may require more extensive therapy or even surgery.
Facet Joint Injury
Facet joint injury can show itself in a variety of ways. Pain in the area of the joint is the most common symptom. Facet damage, though, can also result in pain that is felt elsewhere in the body. Shoulder and arm pain are common whiplash complaints that may be related to facet joint injury. Treatment of joint damage can be more difficult for many reasons. First, the joint itself does not have a good supply of blood, which makes it hard for the tissues to heal. Secondly, constant motion of the joint and swelling can irritate the injury.
Again, time is the best treatment, and chiropractic plays a crucial role in improving joint health. Your doctor can determine the cause of your pain, and help you decide the best treatment. Only in the last few years have facet joints been identified as a cause of whiplash pain, so not much is known about how long they take to heal after injury. Some research shows that the facet joints may be responsible for those whiplash patients with long-term discomfort.
Effective Treatment
The goal of treatment is to help the damaged tissues heal from the injury. This may take time, depending upon the diagnosis.
First, its very important that you stay active and continue to keep up your daily activities. Don't take excessive time off work or recreation, as this can make it harder for you to get back into the swing of things. And, the more you make an effort to stay active, the easier it will be for you if you have a legal case later on.
Treatment of whiplash injuries...
Whiplash is a unique condition that requires a skilled health professional specifically trained to work with soft-tissue injuries. Many patients report success from muscular therapy and chiropractic treatment. These modalities can be effective because of the way they work directly with the injured tissues in your body.
Here are just a few of the things that a chiropractor can do for you:
- Diagnose your condition, and pinpoint the source of your pain -- whether it is a new injury or one that is many years old.
- Help relieve pain caused by whiplash accidents.
- Improve your spine's mobility and flexibility.
- Increase blood flow to the damaged areas, helping them heal faster and fully.
- Provide referrals to other qualified health professionals that you may need.
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