Whiplash is a non-medical term used to describe neck pain following an injury to the soft tissues of your neck (specifically ligaments, tendons, and muscles). It is caused by an abnormal motion or force applied to your neck that causes movement beyond the neck's normal range of motion. Whiplash happens in motor vehicle accidents, sporting activities, accidental falls, and assault.
The term whiplash was first used in 1928, and despite its replacement by synonyms (such as acceleration flexion-extension neck injury and soft tissue cervical hyperextension injury), it continues to be used to describe this common soft tissue neck injury. Your doctor may use the more specific terms of cervical sprain, cervical strain, or hyperextension injury.
The most frequent cause of whiplash is a car accident. The speed of the cars involved in the accident or the amount of physical damage to the car may not define the intensity of neck injury. Speeds as low as 15 miles per hour can produce enough energy to cause whiplash in occupants, whether or not they wear seat belts.
Other common causes of whiplash include falls, contact sport injuries or blows to the head from a falling object.
Neck pain (cervicalgia) may onset immediately after a provoking incident, or may come on overnight. The following symptoms may develop:
If there is any question as to the severity of a neck injury following trauma, a physician should be consulted without delay. The risks associated with a possible neck injury are far too great to attempt to diagnose and self-treat. Depending upon the severity of a car accident, emergency medical personnel may take the patient to an emergency department immediately. In this case, a cervical collar will be placed around the patient's neck, and the body will be strapped to a long, firm board to prevent any movements until a doctor sees the patient.
With less severe car accidents, sports injuries, or other accidental injuries, emergency medical services may or may not be involved in the patient's pre-hospital care. Emergency medical services should be called if the patient develops any of the following symptoms shortly after injury:
If any of these symptoms occur, the person should remain still in resting position, and EMS should be called by dialing 911.
Part II of this series will address usual course of whiplash symptoms, self-management techniques, prognostic indicators, and medical assessment of persisting cervicalgia.
Dr Smucker is Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and has his subspecialty boards in Pain Medicine. His medical practice focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of spine-related issues, using electro diagnosis (EMG/NCS) and image-guided interventions.
