Whiplash is an injury of the neck that happens when the neck is suddenly forced back and forth. The most common cause of this type of neck sprain is a rear-end collision. Let’s look a bit more at what whiplash is and what you should do if you suspect you’re dealing with it.
Symptoms of Whiplash
While everyone’s experience will vary, here are some common symptoms of whiplash.
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Headaches (particularly at base of head)
- Shoulder pain and stiffness
- Loss of range of motion in neck
- Fatigue
- Numbness or tingling radiating into arms
- Dizziness
Getting Treated for Whiplash
- Over-the-counter pain medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen
- Ice
- Massage
- Chiropractic or physical therapy care
- Gentle exercises and stretches
- Rest
If your whiplash injury was due to a motor vehicle accident, here’s another reason to seek care. Objective doctor reports and medical bills can substantiate your injury claim.
Prognosis is Generally Good for Whiplash
Here’s a bit of good news after a rather somber blog post: most people recover from whiplash within a few weeks.
Of course, this depends on a few factors including the severity of your injury, your general health before the accident, and level of care you received.
There are situations, however, where whiplash pain can become chronic.
Seeking Legal Help for a Whiplash Injury
Was your whiplash injury the result of a collision? Or perhaps, another accident that caused by someone else’s negligence? In these types of situations you may be able to pursue compensation from the at-fault party or their insurance carrier.
Why not call our Tacoma personal injury lawyers today? We always offer free, no-obligation consultations. We’ll hear what happened and let you know if we think we can help.
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