The impact may result in bony or soft-tissue injuries (whiplash injury), which in turn may lead to a variety of clinical manifestations called Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD). Range of motion in your neck and shoulders, Degree of motion that causes pain or an increase in pain, Tenderness in your neck, shoulders or back, Reflexes, strength and sensation in your limbs, Restore normal range of motion in your neck. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. (When you first injure yourself—either in a car accident or in another trauma-inducing event—you can use this hot and cold therapy technique at home. These are therapeutic exercises that strengthen your body so that your spine has better support. However, a whiplash injury may not cause symptoms immediately.

This page is best viewed with JavaScript enabled. Some experts suggest limiting use to no more than 72 hours, while others say it may be worn up to three hours a day for a few weeks. Whiplash is one of, if not the most common injury associated with car accidents.
Ultrasound: By increasing blood circulation, an ultrasound helps reduce muscle spasms, cramping, swelling, stiffness, and pain. Have you had neck pain in the past, or do you experience it regularly? Most likely, you're experiencing acute pain because of whiplash, so you'll probably start with passive treatments as your body heals and/or adjusts to the pain. How would you rate your neck pain on a scale of 1 to 10? Accessed Dec. 28, 2019. Passive treatments help to relax you and your body. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Contact us today to schedule a complimentary appointment. Since whiplash is usually very painful, especially in the early stages, it’s common to start with only passive treatment and then later graduate to active methods. In: Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Pain, and Rehabilitation. But the goal of physical therapy is to get into active treatments. Sarrami P, et al. While each person’s recovery is different, this is the ultimate goal. Have you tried any medications or other treatments to relieve the pain? However, studies have shown that keeping the neck still for long periods of time can decrease muscle strength and interfere with recovery. Your doctor may recommend one or more of the following treatments to lessen pain: Your doctor will likely prescribe a series of stretching and movement exercises for you to do at home. It’s also important to seek treatment as early as possible. The Spine Journal. This stage generally lasts for about seven days. As you return to work and daily activities, your physical therapist will also provide advice about everything from how to improve your posture to reduce pain to how to design an ergonomic workplace. The chronic stage of whiplash begins approximately two weeks after the incident occurred.

2019; doi:10.1016/j.jos.2018.11.011. Physical Therapy for Whiplash Treating whiplash injuries often includes a combination of bracing, pain medications, and physical therapy. When you take the time to learn more about physical therapy (PT), it’s easy to see why it’s so effective for treating whiplash. Some people only need over-the-counter medication and at-home care. Photo Source: 123RF.com. Accessed Dec. 20, 2019. The therapist will approach your therapy with the goal of improving flexibility and range of motion. Even after you recover from whiplash, this posture work should help you because you'll be able to prevent other forms of neck pain that develop from daily living. Whiplash is an acceleration-deceleration mechanism of energy transfer to the neck. Sign up to receive free updates on back pain treatments, research, and doctor-reviewed spine health information.
You will be asked to move and perform simple tasks so that your doctor can check the: A whiplash injury isn't apparent on imaging tests. Cold therapy slows circulation, helping to reduce inflammation, muscle spasms, and pain. Giangarra CE, et al., eds.

During the exam your doctor will need to touch and move your head, neck and arms. Whiplash (Cervical strain). In general, you can expect to need 4 to 6 weeks to heal from muscular injuries and 8 to 12 weeks for soft tissue injuries to heal. Heat helps to relax the muscles, improves circulation, and brings more oxygen and healing nutrients to the affected area. It may offer some relief from neck pain. Whiplash is generally treated with conservative methods like physical therapy and bracing, with … They're called passive because you don't have to actively participate. Getting proper care during the acute and sub-acute phases will greatly improve your chances of a full recovery. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2020. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. By the time your therapy is completed, you should be able to return to your normal life with little to no residual pain. What medications do you take regularly, including dietary supplements and herbal medicines? Applying moist heat to the painful area or taking a warm shower may be recommended before exercise. The heat will help relax tense muscles, and it will increase circulation to the injured area. NINDS whiplash information page. A complicating factor is that the pain and disability of whiplash can take a day or even a week to fully manifest, but see your family physician soon after any major trauma to your head and neck in order to rule out life-threatening injuries (fractures, dislocations, internal bleeding). Journal of Orthopaedic Science. Did you know that nearly 3 million people suffer from whiplash each year? Photo Source: 123RF.com.Physical therapy includes both passive and active treatments. While it can be frustrating to deal with physical pain for this long, seeking the help of a physical therapist can help to reduce recovery time and give you the best changes of returning to full functionality. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. Management of non-radicular neck pain in adults.