How to Tell if You Have Whiplash After a Car Accident
Whiplash is a neck injury that often occurs in car accidents. If you are experiencing neck pain and stiffness after being in a car accident, our chiropractors at Back to Health Chiropractic & Massage can help. Here is how you can tell if you have whiplash after being injured in a car accident in Vancouver, WA.
You Have Neck Pain & It’s Getting Worse
The first symptom of whiplash is typically neck pain. If you have neck pain within a week or two after being in a car accident, you may have a whiplash injury. Whiplash can occur when your head and neck are jerked forcefully up and down or side to side. This rapid movement can damage the nerves, vertebrae, discs, muscles, and tissues in the neck. Over time, without whiplash treatment, your neck pain will get worse and you’ll develop other symptoms.
You’re Having Trouble Turning Your Head
One of the earliest and most common symptoms of whiplash is neck stiffness. You may have trouble turning your head from side to side, or moving it up and down. Trying to move your head may increase your neck pain, or make pain shoot down your neck to your shoulders and arms.
You Have Headaches or Migraines
Occasionally, whiplash can cause stress-related headaches or migraines. If you have a whiplash injury, it’s also possible that you have a concussion. When you visit our office for auto injury treatment, we will screen you for whiplash, concussion, and other common auto injuries. A concussion combined with whiplash can cause headaches, migraines, blurry vision, loss of balance and coordination, trouble focusing, memory problems, and insomnia.
You’re Experiencing Numbness or Tingling
If your whiplash injury has caused damage to the nerves in your neck, you may develop numbness or tingling. Nerve damage can affect your neck, shoulders, upper back, arms, and hands. You may have neck pain that radiates from your neck down to the tips of your fingers, as well as numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness in the arms and hands.
You Have Tinnitus
Another common symptom of whiplash and concussion is tinnitus, or a ringing in your ears. This can occur due to nerve or even brain damage sustained in a car accident. Tinnitus can come and go, and it can be severe or mild. It may progress to the point that it impairs your ability to hear properly.
Get Screened for Whiplash in Vancouver, WA
If you were recently in a car accident and suspect you have whiplash in Vancouver, WA, visit our team at Back to Health Chiropractic & Massage. We will complete a full physical evaluation and take x-rays and an MRI and CT scan to screen you for hidden car accident injuries. We will also assess you for whiplash, concussion, and head trauma. Call us today to schedule an appointment.
Posted In:
Whiplash Treatment
After An Accident
