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Whiplash Symptoms
Injury to the body is caused when one
part of the body moves too quickly in relation to another part of the body. In
whiplash, the head and torso are moving in different directions, resulting in
damage to the tissues of the neck.
The neck is a very complex structure,
though, and there are many important nerves and blood vessels that travel
through the neck to other parts of the body. Damage to these tissues can cause a
complex set of symptoms that can be difficult to diagnose. In addition, other
parts of the body—such as the shoulder and lower back—can be subjected to
dramatic forces, as well. This can result in pain in different parts of the
body.
Neck Pain After Whiplash
 During
a rear-end collision, the head and torso are thrust in opposite directions in a
very short period of time. So it is not surprising that most of the symptoms of
whiplash are centered in that part of the body between the head and the torso
— the neck.
The neck is made up of a complex
network of bones, discs, ligaments, nerves, blood vessels, and muscles — and
all of them can be injured in a crash. The sections below discuss the anatomy of
these types of injuries.
Muscle Injury
This is probably the most common type
of injury from a crash. Muscle injury often heals quickly after whiplash, but in
some cases, recovery can be more difficult. Scar tissue of the neck muscles can
lead to nerve problems, like thoracic outlet syndrome.
Ligament Injury
The ligaments are the fibrous bands
of tissue that hold the bones of the spine together, and a number of studies
have shown that the ligaments can be stretched or torn from whiplash injury.
Disc Injury
The discs are the "shock
absorbers" of the spine, padding the space between the vertebrae. The discs
can be injured when the spine is rapidly accelerated during whiplash. Disc
injuries can result in numbness or tingling in the arms, and can even become
herniated from a crash.
Bone Injury
During a severe crash, the vertebrae
themselves may fracture.
Vascular Injury
Many important blood vessels travel
through the neck, and the medical literature has found that they can be injured
during the violent motion that occurs during a crash.
Whiplash Symptoms - Headache
 Neck
pain is the second most common symptom experienced after a whiplash, reported by
over 90% of patients.
Like neck pain, headache also can
have a variety of different causes from an auto collision. The first step in
treating post-traumatic headache is to diagnose the root cause of the pain. The
following sections describe the different causes of headache and how to approach
treatment.
Headaches Caused by Neck Injury
Cervicogenic headaches—or headaches
that originate in the cervical spine—is a very common source of headache after
an auto collision. Chiropractic can be especially helpful in treating these
types of headaches.
Nerve Injury
Sometimes the nerves of the neck can
be injured during the violent motion of an auto collision. These damaged nerves
can result in headache.
Muscular Injury or
Tension
Muscular tension is another common
source of headache after whiplash. Myofascial tension can be caused by referred
pain, direct injury to the muscles, or stress.
Migraine
Migraine-like headaches are reported
by some patients after an auto injury. It's likely that these migraine-like
headaches are just a more severe form of cervicogenic or tension-type headache.
Brain Injury
Headaches are a common symptom of
brain injury, which can occur during an auto collision—even when there is no
direct head impact.
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