Whiplash is a term that describes injury to the neck that occurs as a result of a motor vehicle or car accident. The most common type of car accident is the rear impact. Most typically the occupant in the vehicle that gets hit from behind is at the greatest risk of neck injury and whiplash.
The cervical spine goes through an S-shaped curve.
In this case the cervical spine, rather than simply being curved to the front in a C-shape, takes on an altered shape:
• The lower part of the cervical spine is bent backward and moves into extension
• The upper part of the cervical spine is bent forward and moves into flexion.
• The lower part of the cervical spine moves beyond its normal range of motion. This is affecting the ligaments and discs.
Whiplash injuries can be dangerous and complex. Trauma can include a lot of related problems:
Joint dysfunction
One of the joints in the spine or limbs may lose its normal resiliency and shock absorption after a whiplash. This could lead to restricted range of movement and severe pain.
Herniation of the disc
A whiplash accident may injure the discs between the vertebrae. This can lead to small tears and cause the inner core of the disc to extrude through the outer core.
Symptoms incl. severe, sharp pain going down the arm, as well as numerous neurological symptoms such as numbness, tingling and weakness of the muscles.
Chronic pain issues
While often resulting in minor muscle sprains and strains that heal with time, more severe whiplash injuries may produce neck pain and other symptoms that are persistent and long-lasting (chronic).
Cognitive and higher center dysfunction. In some instances, whiplash may affect the patient's mental functioning, possibly leading to difficulties concentrating, as just one example.
Neck strain or whiplash
Neck strain is often just called whiplash. Although it's usually associated with car accidents, any impact or blow that causes your head to jerk forward or backward can cause neck strain. The sudden force stretches and tears the muscles and tendons in your neck.
Neck strain afflicts many amateur and professional athletes.
People who play contact sports like football are especially prone to neck strain.
Neck strains are often confused with neck sprains. They're a bit different. Neck strains are caused by damage to the muscle or the tendons, bands of tissue that connect muscles to bones. Neck sprains are caused by tearing of the ligaments, the tissues that connect the bones to each other.
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