(And How Physical Therapy Supports Long-Term Recovery)

Whiplash is a very common injury when it comes to car accidents, and although it can be very painful, it is also very treatable. Whiplash injuries that occur in car accidents are typically due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth action of the neck and upper spine in some cases. Understanding what whiplash is and how to treat it can help to protect your health or any possible long-term complications or physical disabilities.

What is Whiplash?

A whiplash injury is commonly caused by rear-end accidents but can also be caused by many other things, such as physical abuse, sports accidents, and other types of trauma such as falling down the stairs. It is not uncommon for whiplash injuries to be referred to as a neck sprain or strain, but this term is inclusive of other injuries other than whiplash.

Symptoms of whiplash can start to appear within hours or days of the injury, and can include:

• Neck pain and stiffness

• Worsening of pain with movement near the injury (e.g. turning your head)

• Loss of range of motion in the neck

• Tenderness at the base of the neck, shoulder, upper back, and/or arms

• Headaches that start at the base of the skull

• Tingling or numbness

• Fatigue and dizziness

Some additional whiplash symptoms people have reported experiencing include:

• Blurred vision

• Difficulty sleeping

• Irritability

• Memory problems

• Ringing in the ears (aka tinnitus)

What is the Best Treatment for Whiplash?

Depending on how you were injured, your treatment plan may be different, but your first step to treating whiplash after a car accident or any other type of trauma is to seek medical treatment. Whether your accident was minor or severe, if you believe you could have a whiplash injury, it’s best to seek medical attention as soon as possible. An important thing to keep in mind is that whiplash injuries are soft tissue injuries, which means symptoms might not appear for hours, days, or even weeks, which is why it’s best to seek treatment and/or medical attention as soon after the accident as possible. It’s also important to note that whiplash injuries don’t show up on an x-ray, so the person treating you will likely need to perform other tests to decide how serious your injury is.

After you are treated for your whiplash injury, your doctor or medical care provider will likely provide you with at-home care instructions and connect you with a Physical Therapist, who will help guide you along the healing process. The doctor will likely give you some sort of pain medication if your injury is severe enough and they also might recommend you wear a neck brace or cervical neck collar for a few weeks.

Why Physical Therapy is Key to Healing from Whiplash

Once you are healed enough from your injury, Physical Therapy is your next step – and also a very critical part of your long-term healing process. Depending on your injury, your doctor might recommend you integrate Physical Therapy early on in your treatment plan in order to avoid any future problems or concerns. The main benefit we hear from our patients is that they feel relief from their pain while also strengthening their muscles, which is our ultimate goal.

Treated properly, whiplash can be healed. Working with a Physical Therapist throughout your recovery process will often lead to quicker and more efficient healing as well as improved muscle strength over time. 

PT’s will encourage slow and careful movement (which can seem like the last thing you would want to do after a car accident), but it actually will help you more than bed rest. The oxygen created in your body through movement is what’s needed to heal a whiplash injury.

About Klein Physical Therapy, P.C. | Denver PTs in Cherry Creek and University Hills 

Owner & Founder, PT Lea Klein, along with Dr. Katie Peters and Dr. Emily Roberts make up the Physical Therapy team at Klein PT, 2401 S Downing St, Denver, CO 80210. To learn more about the services we offer at Klein Physical Therapy please contact us here!