Whiplash

What causes whiplash?
Whiplash occurs when the soft tissue in the spine is stretched and strained after the body is thrown in a sudden, forceful jerk. The injury most commonly occurs in car crashes involving sudden deceleration, but the injury can also occur in other strenuous physical activities such as diving.

The most frequent complaints are headaches and stiffness in the neck and the back of the head. These symptoms appear within the first couple of days after the accident and usually pass after a few days to a few weeks.

Symptoms
Symptoms of whiplash usually develop within hours, but their nature can vary enormously.

Typical symptoms include:

• Pain and stiffness of the neck, extending up to the head and down to the shoulders
• Headache
• Numbness or tingling in the arms going down into the hands
• Low back pain
• Dizziness
• Mental problems, such as poor concentration, memory or mental performance
• Tiredness
• Ringing in the ears or tinnitus
• Blurred vision

Key to treatment
The standard treatment used to be to encase the neck in a supportive collar to prevent movement.

These days it's thought better to use a soft collar for a short period and to gently encourage movement of the neck after 24 hours.

The standard approach to all injuries of the soft tissues should be followed:

• Apply an ice pack immediately to reduce swelling
• Take regular pain relief using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin or ibuprofen)
• Initial rest should soon give way to a gentle increase in movement, but don't overdo it - your local gym or GP can suggest suitable exercises

Physiotherapy treatment including massage, traction, ultrasound and physical treatments.

For more information please call 020 8455 7809 or email us on info@igophysio.co.uk

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