Also known as a neck sprain, whiplash refers to a certain type of soft tissue neck injury. It is often the result of a car accident that causes a violent jerking motion or whipping of the head. If you are injured in an auto accident in Jacksonville FL, be sure to seek treatment right away. Here are some of the many symptoms of a whiplash injury and some effective treatment options to help manage them.
Whiplash Symptoms
The symptoms of your whiplash injury may not develop until a couple of days after your accident. When they do occur, you may experience neck pain and stiffness that worsens upon movement, headache, shoulder pain, back pain, and numbness and tingling sensations in your arms and hands.
Also, it is not unusual for whiplash sufferers to experience dizziness, vision problems, memory loss, swallowing difficulties, and nausea. Whiplash injuries can usually be diagnosed through a medical history and physical examination by your physician. If your physical examination is inconclusive or if your doctor is concerned that you may have herniated a disc or sustained ligament damage, he or she may recommend that you get a magnetic resonance imaging test, or MRI. This is because traditional x-rays do not reveal soft tissue injuries.
Whiplash Management
Depending upon your doctor’s preferences, you may be advised to wear an immobilization cervical collar or he or she may recommend that you slowly start moving your neck as soon as possible.
Icing the affected area is also suggested for the first day following your accident. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications also help with pain, inflammation, and stiffness. If your pain is severe, your doctor may prescribe muscle relaxers, narcotic pain medications, or antidepressants to control your symptoms.
If you were injured in an auto accident Jacksonville FL, contact Medig by visiting our website