Whiplash, The Double Whammy!

Is It Different From Typical Neck Pain?

I see quite a few folks who have been rear-ended and whiplashed in my practice. A whiplash injury can cause many different symptoms for weeks and months of pain and dysfunctions. It is imperative to properly diagnose the depth and the source of the problem initially to help the patients fully recover from it. In this blog, I will discuss why whiplash injuries can be challenging and the factors that can help speed their recovery.

The symptoms of whiplash injuries include;

• Neck pain
• Headaches
• Weakness in the neck muscles
• Disc herniations (pain in the neck, extremeites)
• Cervical radiculopathy (includes arm, hand pain tingling) 
• Loss of balance
• Dizziness
• Ringing in the ears
• Jaw pain/Ear pain/Eye pain
• Nausea/Vomiting
• Insomnia
• Mood swings, anxiety, depression, PTSD
• Concussion (this can happen while having a whiplash injury due to acceleration and deceleration of the head) with or without contact with other structures in the car

 

I find whiplash injuries very difficult to manage for a couple of factors below;

• Because of the nature of its biomechanical disadvantage: Extreme hyperextension and hyperflexion due to the sudden high-velocity impact can cause any injuries from major strain/sprain to possible soft tissue tears and even fractures in certain cases. The reason for the “Double Whammy” is the immediate hyperflexion injury that is followed by hyperextension. The acceleration phase immediately after the impact will cause hyperextension of the neck can cause tear-like injuries in front of the neck and upper chest with compression-like injuries in the back of the neck and upper back. The following hyperflexion phase can potentially cause extra damage by adding exact opposite stress to the same body parts already injured. The video below depicts how this can happen.

Go to the Whiplash Video

• Because it may involve many different organs and systems in the body: The acceleration and deceleration in such a short time with high velocity can also move and impact many other structures other than muscles. What I find devastating musculoskeletally is ligament damage. The ligaments are like glues of the body that connects the bones and maintain the integrity of the joints. Because of the impact, the ligaments can be overly stretched and lose their integrity, and become lax and unstable. Unlike muscles and tendons, ligaments are more rigid, less elastic tissues. Due to their physiological natures, it is more challenging to treat their injuries and take longer to recover. The ligament injuries can be found on flexion and extension imaging such as x-rays, and MRI where the misalignment of the vertebrae will be visible when the patient flexes and extends the neck. It could cause potentially permanent damages if failed to rehabilitate. In some cases, the ligaments can be torn and severed due to the severe impact that will require immediate surgeries. Another concerning injury can be a Concussion. The sudden acceleration and deceleration can cause stressful movement in the brain that may compromise the health of the cortex in the brain that can cause an array of symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, loss of memory, mood swings, cranial nerve functions (includes nose-smell, eyes, ear-hearing, balance, swallowing, facial muscles, tongue control), hormonal control, and so on. In some cases, the impacted/bruised pituitary gland that sits in the middle of the structure called Sella turcica may disrupt hormonal functions because the pituitary gland secrets hormones that control the activities of the thyroid, adrenal glands, ovaries, and testes as well as other metabolism and reproduction functions. To properly diagnose these issues, brain MRIs or CT scans may be necessary with other tests such as blood/urine/saliva functional hormone tests.

 

For the most part, the typical treatments can include;

• Chiropractic adjustments (After ruling out severe damages such as  fracture, ligament tear/laxities, artery dissection, and so on)
• Acupuncture/Dry Needling/Cupping
• Cold laser therapy
• Spinal decompression therapy
• Massage therapy
• Physical therapy/Rehabilitation
• Psychotherapy (for anxiety/depression/PTSD)
• Hormonal/Metabolic therapy
• Injection therapy (cortisone, facet, nerve block)
• Surgeries (if extensive damages are found)

Due to the potential complexity of the injury, proper diagnoses and methodically planned treatments are necessary for a full recovery. Especially, if involved with more than mild musculoskeletal injuries.

Hope you found this informative!

 

 

 

 

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Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products mentioned on this page are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The content in this blog should not be used as a substitute for the professional advice and/or recommendation of qualified healthcare practitioners or licensed physicians. The content presented in this blog is intended for information purposes only. Consult your doctor or healthcare practitioners for your current conditions.