The more severe your pain is after the initial injury, and the higher your anxiety level, the more likely it is that your acute short-term neck pain will develop into a chronic problem. Applying heat rather than cold to the area might also help loosen tight muscles. The purpose of treatment is to regain your range of motion as quickly as possible.
We start physical therapy early and focus on stretching, rotating and moving the neck back and forth. You can do exercises at home to help alleviate the pain. Do these three to four times a day for a few minutes:. He or she may then recommend further treatment, if needed. Tight muscles and neck pain are common after an accident. But do you have whiplash? Find out who is at risk and how long the pain may last.
Learn more about vaccine availability. Advertising Policy. You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter. Related Articles. Obsessed With Your Phone? Whiplash Cervical strain. Essential Orthopaedics. Frontera WR, et al. Cervical strain or sprain. Daimon K, et al. A year prospective longitudinal MRI study on cervical spine after whiplash injury: Follow-up of a cross-sectional study. Journal of Orthopaedic Science. Sarrami P, et al.
Factors predicting outcome in whiplash injury: A systematic meta-review of prognostic factors. Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. Isaac Z, et al. Management of non-radicular neck pain in adults. Gross AR, et al. Exercises for mechanical neck disorders: A Cochrane review update. Manual Therapy, ; Wong JJ. The pain comes from the hyperextension of the muscles and any soft tissue damage in the neck and surrounding areas.
As your body reacts to the strain, you may experience swelling and inflammation in the area as well. The muscles of the neck and upper back can often feel very stiff and you may have difficulty turning your neck from side to side or up and down. This decrease in range of motion can also be accompanied by pain and your muscles may feel tender or knotted.
Headaches are also extremely common with whiplash because the brain was likely also jostled due to the impact. In some cases, you may experience less-common symptoms with whiplash due to the severity of your injury.
When nerves in the spine and neck are disturbed, this may result in a tingling feeling that radiates from your neck and down your arms to your fingers. Concussions are common in tandem with whiplash, and if you experience any dizziness or ringing in your ears, be sure to mention this to your doctor. At AICA Orthopedics, our car accident doctors and multi-specialty medical team have the knowledge and experience to accurately diagnose your injury and develop a proper treatment plan for you.
We use state-of-the-art digital imaging along with a physical exam to identify damage. This helps us best address your symptoms and promote full healing.
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