Why You Shouldn't Ignore Your Whiplash Pain

Whiplash is aptly named. It happens when your neck is jolted back and forth about as swiftly and harshly as a whip, typically during an accident.

One of the most common auto accident injuries, whiplash is both painful and treatable. If you delay treatment, however, your health and well-being could pay a hefty price.

Dr. Nicholas Perenich and his team at Spine Institute of Florida in Dade City and Spring Hill are pleased to provide effective treatments for neck and spine injuries related to accidents, including whiplash.

If you’re showing signs of whiplash, read on to learn why you should take them seriously.

Whiplash symptoms

Whiplash can cause a range of symptoms that worsen over time. In fact, you may not notice any symptoms at all for the first 24 hours.

Early whiplash symptoms include soreness and stiffness when you attempt to move your neck. From there, symptoms may expand to include:

Pain that radiates to your back, head, or shoulders
Muscle spasms
Bruising and swelling
Sensitivity to touch

Neurological signs of whiplash, which happen in moderate to severe cases, include:

Muscle weakness
Headaches
Burning sensations
Vision problems
Dizziness
Difficulty swallowing or talking normally

The severity of your whiplash symptoms depend on factors like the intensity of the injury, which part of your neck was most affected, and how quickly you seek treatment.

What happens if you ignore whiplash signs

Because whiplash symptoms may worsen over time, early treatment can help prevent or minimize more challenging issues. Treatment may also protect you from complications, such as long-lasting neck pain.

If you have especially severe whiplash symptoms, it may mean that a vertebra in your neck has moved out of place, putting pressure on a nerve, or fractured. If you ignore that nerve damage and it worsens, you might even run the risk of paralysis.

Getting whiplash treatment

Our team will create a customized treatment plan for your whiplash, based on the severity of your injury and your overall health. Treatments we may recommend include:

Back or neck brace
Epidural or facet joint injections
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Physical therapy (PT)
Radiofrequency ablation (heating and destroying the nerve causing the pain)

Although rare, severe whiplash that doesn’t respond to conservative treatments may require spine surgery. Whiplash surgery typically removes part of the vertebrae causing pressure in your spine or reshapes tissue to create more space.

To get started with personalized whiplash care at any stage, call Spine Institute of Florida or schedule an appointment through our website today.