Car accidents can be traumatizing for many considering the injuries and damages it causes. With one common car accident injury being the whiplash. If you’ve ever been in a car accident and felt that violent jolt where your head is quickly thrown forward and backward, you know how scary it is. However, what follows next is often more troubling – an unending neck pain. That pain is called a whiplash. Some of the causes of whiplash injuries include sports accidents, physical abuse, and falls. With a car accident from behind being the main culprit. Yes, that seemingly small hit from a fender-bender is enough to get your neck stiff and sore and cause you a lot of discomfort.
In this guide, we’ll not only mention the symptoms but also show you the various ways to treat whiplash. Oh, we are not done. There’s also a cheeky section to claiming compensation for all your troubles. But first, let’s see what a whiplash is all about.
What Exactly is a Whiplash?
Whiplash is a common neck injury usually called a neck sprain or strain where the neck feels stiff and sore. This neck strain may make it difficult to move your head.
It can be caused by different factors like a sports accident or physical abuse but the main culprit is from an accident from behind. When a vehicle hits yours from behind, it forces your head to quickly move forward and back. The abrupt nature of this movement strains the neck muscles causing whiplash.
Whiplash Symptoms
Whiplash symptoms can appear anytime between a few seconds after impact to a few days. Can you see how difficult it may be to link it to the accident if the symptoms appear days later?
However, by knowing the symptoms, you improve your chances of early detection and attention. Here are some of the most common whiplash symptoms people feel after an accident:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Decreased neck movement range
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Muscle spasms in neck and shoulder
- Pain in upper back and shoulder
- Tingling or numbness in arms
When to Seek Treatment
If you’ve had a rear accident and are feeling severe pains, unending headaches, and numbness around your body especially near the neck, then it’s time to see a doctor. Since whiplash often starts small with mild symptoms, it is often neglected until it degenerates into something more severe. Don’t wait for that, seek medical help at the sign of the first symptom.
Available Treatment Options
There are a lot of treatment options available for whiplash but it all depends on the severity of the injury. If you’re looking for the best treatment option for whiplash, you should first consider the symptoms and their severity. Here are your options:
Home Remedy
For mild symptoms, you can treat whiplash at home using simple stretches like a chin tuck, neck side bends, shoulder rolls, side-to-side head turns, and neck tilts. Other home remedies like simply taking more rest and icing the area will relieve the pain and improve movement. For more serious symptoms and pain, see the next option.
Medical Treatment
If the symptoms are severe, you should seek medical help immediately. They will diagnose it and provide the necessary treatment which may involve muscle relaxants, topical medications, and injections.
Seeking Compensation
If a car accident in San Antonio causes you to go through a lot of pain and even spend money on treating whiplash, you should seek compensation for the damages. Especially if the accident was not at fault.
However, this is not always obvious which is why you should see the help of an auto injury lawyer in San Antonio. You’ll get professional advice on getting compensated for the damages caused.
Is Whiplash Preventable?
Car accidents are sometimes beyond our control. The best you can do is to minimize the chances of an accident. The same can be said about preventing a whiplash injury.
You can minimize the risk of a whiplash injury by placing your head correctly on the headrest while driving. It will reduce the force at which your head moves in the event of a hit from behind.
Defensive driving anticipates potential hazards rather than simply following traffic laws. Here a driver is observing what other drivers do, paying extra attention on the road to avoid accidents. Simply put, a careful driver.
Conclusion
The pain from a whiplash ranges from mild headaches to severe muscle spasms. Getting treatment should be at the top of your mind if you feel any pain around your neck after a car accident from behind.
A lot of people ignore this seemingly mild pain but you shouldn’t. It often leads to something more severe if not managed properly. Thankfully there are various ways to handle whiplash injuries including simple home remedies and medical treatment. You can even utilize physical therapy with the right guidance.
Knowing when you get in touch with an auto injury lawyer is also an important but often overlooked part. Consulting a lawyer will help you get the right legal counsel for compensation.