Whiplash Injury Treatment
Whiplash: Causes and Treatments
Whiplash is commonly associated as an injury resulting from a car accident, particularly when another vehicle from the rear hits the injured party. This type of neck trauma, however, can develop in many situations where a similar force of action causes the delicate tissues of the neck to be thrust forward.
Sports injuries, amusement park rides, falls from a bicycle or other moving object, airplane turbulence, and chronic neck strain or repetitive stress are other examples of situations that can cause a whiplash injury.
The crucial link between the head and the spine takes place at the neck, where a column of seven vertebrae makes up the upper cervical spine. Here is where the skull bone connects to the first two vertebrae of the spinal cord, the atlas and the axis, which also holds the brain stem and a network of ligaments, nerves, joints, and discs. Many of the body’s nerve centers get their instructions from here.
When the body experiences a blow that suddenly jolts the head back and forth, these sensitive spinal components can be easily damaged, resulting in the symptoms commonly known as whiplash. If the neck and spine were more like a metal spring, the body would be able to flex more easily to absorb the momentum, but of course, we’re just not built that way.
Common symptoms include headaches, swelling, muscle spasms, and pain that centers around or radiates from the neck. In severe cases, a tear of a ligament or disc or a hairline fracture may require surgery. These are the more serious complications that suggest the necessity for CAT (Computerized Axial Tomographic Imaging) scans as a requisite component of medical treatment.
In most cases, however, a treatment program for recovering from a whiplash injury will usually include a cervical collar that braces the head and neck, limiting mobility during the healing process. Anti-inflammatory and pain medications, heat or ice applications, and physical therapy are usually necessary to bring patients to full recovery within a few weeks.
There are also coup and contra coup injuries that impact the brain in the same way that whiplash affects the neck and spine. Depending on where the injury occurs, they can certainly have a devastating impact on the victim's well-being.
Cerebral contusions and subdural or epidural hematoma - like the one that recently claimed the life of 45-year old film star Natasha Richardson - are the more serious complications of trauma to the head that frequently accompanies a whiplash-type injury. Age, fitness, and diet are also factors that determine how such an injury will affect each person, and how quickly that person will recover.
While there are certainly few things a person can do to prevent a whiplash injury, there are general health habits that can have a significant impact on how quickly and how well one heals. If you engage in sports activity, wear the appropriate protective equipment. Helmets, shoulder pads, braces, and mouth guards go a long way in helping protect the head and neck from contact with high-speed balls or other players. The most common form of whiplash injury treatment is simply painkillers and to keep the neck mobile (rather than the neck collars that used to be prescribed).
You Need To Know More Vital Information About Whiplash?
For more vital information that you really should know please download our free Essential Guide To Whiplash. It will tell you:
- What "No Win No Fee" really means and how to ensure you do not get caught out
- Whether a Claims Company or a Solicitor is the right choice for you
- What does it mean if you have Legal Expense Insurance (and do you have to use the solicitor that they tell you too if you do not want to)?
- How to obtain private treatment for your injuries at no cost to you
- How to quickly obtain a replacement car or motorcycle if you need to
- Why accepting an offer directly from the other driver's insurance company could cost you thousands of pounds and lead to longterm injury problems
There is no cost so please complete your details below now and we will immediately send you the guide.
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What Is A Whiplash Injury?
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News / Articles
Videos - See our latest Whiplash Videos
Find Out If You Are Eligible To Make A Whiplash Claim - 05/02/2012
Whiplash Compensation Claims - The Process - 03/02/2012
Claiming For Whiplash Injuries - 01/02/2012
Finding A Compensation Solicitor - 31/01/2012
Concentrate On Recovery After A Car Accident - 12/12/2011
Guide To Choosing A Whiplash Solicitor
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