Whiplash is a well-known term for an injury occurring to the neck due to acceleration with rapid deceleration. This can occur commonly with rear end and side car motor vehicle accidents. It is not isolated to car accidents, similar forces can occur during diving injuries or other sporting injuries, and physical abuse, which have sudden impacts that cause backward bending which can damage the tissues of the neck.
The correct term for this injury of the neck is Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD) and it is classified from Grade 1-4 depending on the symptoms that you develop.
The symptoms range from:
1. Neck pain, possible arm pain and stiffness that can limit your ability to function fully.
2. Jaw tightness and pain.
3. Loss of range of motion of the neck so it becomes difficult to turn head to reverse the car or neck movements causing sharp pain.
4. Tingling and or numbness and or weakness in the arms, oversensitivity to cold like wind or cold water, oversensitivity to light touch.
5.Headaches often located at the back of the skull area, top of the neck and can also be felt in the front of head and behind the eyes.
6. tenderness to the touch and or pain in the shoulder, upper back, chest and arm region.
7. Dizziness especially often associated with neck movement.
Less Common Symptoms:
1. Difficulties sleeping, often related to not being able to get into a comfortable position and pain levels at night. This also leads to fatigue and mood changes. Irritability can also creep in.
2. Visual disturbances like blurring which can make those suffering from this uncomfortable to drive safely or work with a computer easily.
3. Ringing in the ears seems unusual but can relate to the disruption and injury to tissues of the neck and base of the skull.
4. Pain levels can impact their ability to concentrate and can impact memory.
5. Some patients can develop post traumatic stress disorder or depression.
The dynamics and forces of car accidents or other impacts can at times cause the muscles, ligaments, fascia’s, capsules of joints, nerves and arteries to stretch beyond their normal range. Being over stretched in that manner can cause small or large tears, swelling, hematoma (rare) which is bleeding in the tissues.
It is difficult to image the trauma that is caused in the tissues however X rays can rule out major fractures and dislocations, and MRIs show more clearly soft tissues damage like the intervertebral discs, nerves, muscles and ligaments and instability etc.
Acute vs Chronic Whiplash Associated Disorder
Of those who develop whiplash associated disorder (WAD) for some, recovery can be prolonged. The majority recover relatively well over a 6-8-week period. 50% however do not fully recover and up to 30% are left with some form of disability and 20-40 % are classified as chronic Whiplash association disorder (WAD).
There are some known factors that can make it more likely for an individual to develop long term pain and discomfort after whiplash. In very simple terms one expects after 3 months that in most cases the tissue damage would have repaired itself, but for some the pain continues. This doesn’t negate the fact that other factors can be involved. Repaired damaged tissue like muscles may not be functioning in the same way as they did prior to the accident. There is also some evidence to show that the pain pathways can be affected. So, this indicates that it is not just about the tissue injury, but that nervous system function can also be altered.
This doesn’t mean that patients with chronic whiplash disorder cannot achieve changes or improvement with osteopathic care. To the contrary, osteopathic care of Chronic Whiplash Association disorder due to its wholistic approach may offer you some ability to progress in your function and pain levels.
Why See an Osteopath for Whiplash Associated Disorder?
Osteopathy may be your therapy of choice, once you have been cleared from any major issues by your GP or a medical facility. In the initial days after the injury pain levels may be high, swelling might be present and you will instinctively try to not move your neck.
Osteopathy in the cranial field (OCF) is gentle, involves minimal movement or exaggeration of your pain. In our experience the earlier you can get some reduction in your pain levels and improved range of motion in the joints of your neck, the sooner you will feel willing to engage in exercises that will help stabilise the injured ligaments and tissues.
Your osteopath can clearly explain how to perform these exercises and with treatment may help reduce pain levels and restore some range of motion to your neck region. There are many factors that can be involved in why an individual develops chronic pain after a whiplash type injury. Restoring function, keeping the neck area moving may reduce the risk of this occurring.
The other benefit of seeing an osteopath is that they look at your body as a whole. They won’t ignore the fact that your midback and lower back also don’t feel right. They will look at how the car accident has impacted your whole body and discuss a management plan that addresses all these aspects.