What You Should Know About Whiplash After a Car Accident or Injury

Jolting your neck backward and forward or side to side can severely damage the muscles, ligaments, and nerves within. Whiplash injuries can throw your cervical spine out of alignment while causing pain and stiffness that are usually temporary — but can also be severe. 

On the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City, Apollo Chiropractic PC provides premier chiropractic adjustments and therapies to help whiplash injuries heal. Andrew Dube, DC, treats every whiplash injury with high-level care and a personalized approach. 

Here’s everything you need to know about whiplash injuries and how to recognize them:

How whiplash injuries happen

When you think of whiplash injuries, you probably think of car accidents. Whiplash injuries are often auto accident injuries, but they can happen under other circumstances too. 

Roller coasters, contact sports, and even slip-and-fall incidents can cause serious neck strain. When you get a whiplash injury, the sudden movement forces muscles and ligaments in your neck to stretch or compress in extreme ways. 

Recognizing the signs of whiplash

Whiplash injuries can cause a wide range of symptoms depending on how severe the injury is. Neck pain is perhaps the most widely recognized symptom of whiplash, but more severe injuries can affect your spine and cause neurological symptoms. 

Symptoms might start right when the injury happens, or they may appear over 12 hours later. Doctors grade whiplash injuries on a scale from 0-4 based on their symptoms:

Grade 0

Grade 0 shows no signs of a typical whiplash injury, like neck pain. Therefore, you probably don’t need treatment. 

Grade 1

Grade 1 whiplash injuries involve pain and a little stiffness when moving your neck, but no other symptoms beyond that. 

Grade 2 

A grade 2 whiplash injury causes neck stiffness and pain with some additional physical signs of neck injury, like bruising, swelling, and possible muscle spasms. Some people experience back pain or shoulder pain with grade 2 whiplash.

You might also notice that the pain radiates from your neck into your head or face. Muscle spasms in your neck can make it difficult to turn your head. 

Grade 3

A grade 3 whiplash injury can cause all of the symptoms of a grade 2 whiplash injury, plus neurological symptoms. These typically happen when swelling from the injury disrupts nerve signals headed toward your brain. 

Neurological whiplash symptoms can include:

• Headaches
• Tingling in your neck, upper back, or arms
• Vision problems 
• Vertigo or dizziness
• Muscle weakness

You might also notice changes in your voice, like hoarseness, or trouble swallowing. 

Grade 4

Grade 4 whiplash is the most severe level of injury. It can involve all of the symptoms of a grade 3 injury, but they’re even more severe. In imaging tests, healthcare providers can also see changes in your spine — like vertebral shifting or fractures. 

Your treatment options for whiplash 

At Apollo Chiropractic PC, Dr. Dube can treat whiplash injuries to reduce pain and align your spine. After grading your injury, he gives you a personalized treatment plan typically involving spinal manipulation, manual chiropractic adjustments, and myofascial release. 

Manual traction and spinal manipulation can help re-align your neck and spine to help tissues heal more effectively. These adjustments can also take pressure off pinched nerves to reduce pain and neurological symptoms, like numbness or tingling, that stem from whiplash. 

Dr. Dube might suggest physical therapy (PT) and rehabilitation in addition to chiropractic adjustments, as well. 

Whiplash care on the Upper West Side of Manhattan

Whiplash injuries can cause pain and stiffness for some time, but chiropractic care at Apollo Chiropractic PC can help advance your healing. To learn more, call our Upper West Side office today, or schedule a visit online at your convenience.