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What is whiplash and what does it affect?

On Behalf of | Jan 20, 2017 | Car Accidents

A car accident can lead to a host of injuries. While none of them are fun to deal with, neck injuries can be especially difficult to live with. Think about how many times you move your head and arms each day. If you injured your neck, each of these movements will be very painful. This could make it difficult to take care of yourself and your family. It could make it hard to work.

How does whiplash occur?

Whiplash is a neck injury that occurs when the head is moved violently from one side to the other or from front to back. As the name implies, the head is whipped around, which causes damage to the structures in the neck. The amount of damage to these structures is what affects how serious the impact to the victim is.

What are the symptoms of whiplash?

Severe neck pain that is achy and not likely sharp is one of the primary symptoms. Your neck might feel stiff. You may also suffer from back pain, memory trouble, dizziness, headaches and trouble concentrating. All of these can impact every aspect of your life.

How is whiplash treated?

Pain control is one important part of treating whiplash. Keeping the area stable might be necessary. This would involve using a cervical collar, but not all whiplash cases require this. Physical therapy is another possible element that will be present in a whiplash case.

When you think about how much whiplash can affect your life, you might realize that it is an expensive injury. If your injury was the fault of the other driver, you might choose to seek compensation for the effects of the accident.

Source: FindLaw, “Whiplash-Related Injuries,” accessed Jan. 20, 2017

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