When you have been involved in an auto accident, there is a wide range of injuries and losses you can possibly sustain, depending on the type of accident and many other factors. One of these injuries is whiplash.
A patient dealing with a whiplash injury will not usually be able to function as normal throughout their daily life as the pain and discomfort can be very challenging. Even something as simple as turning your head to one side, looking up or down, or bending forward can be exceedingly difficult.
The strain and pain felt with a whiplash injury may not be avoidable in your car accident, but you most certainly do not have to live with that pain with no relief in sight. You will be in need of a specialized doctor who can diagnose your symptoms and provide you with a custom treatment plan to provide the pain relief you need.
What Is Whiplash?
Whiplash injuries are medical conditions in which the neck snaps forward and backward (or backward and then forward) quickly and without warning. This sudden force of motion can easily result in severe pain in your neck.
If not given expert medical attention by a doctor specially trained to treat auto accident injuries, including a whiplash injury, the resulting repercussions can be severe and long-lasting. A whiplash injury could result in serious neck pain, limited range of motion, and chronic neck issues.
How Does Whiplash Occur?
In general, a whiplash injury will occur during a car accident, especially those in which your vehicle was struck from behind in a rear-end collision. Also, if you were hit by another motor vehicle while your car was not in motion, you are very likely to have whiplash. With certain types of accidents, you may experience severe or even moderate whiplash pain right away, but other situations may take longer for the neck pain to develop and manifest.
There are particular situations and risk factors in addition to the auto collision from behind which are more likely to cause neck pain in the form of a whiplash injury, and these circumstances include:
- Being female
- Being young
- History of neck pain
- Monotonous workplace activity creating tightness in your muscles
This is not a comprehensive list, and whiplash is a very serious injury that often accompanies a car accident. It requires professional medical treatment and even rehabilitation from a trained physical therapist to reduce the risk of long-term pain and muscle spasms.
Whiplash Symptoms
If you think that you may have suffered whiplash and are in need of a whiplash diagnosis and treatment plan, there are several symptoms to be aware of. It is important to remember that you may not notice these symptoms immediately.
The symptoms include:
- Lingering pain or chronic pain
- Muscle spasms
- Decreased range of motion
- Headache
- Stiff neck or tight muscles
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Disturbances in memory
Whether these common symptoms are felt right away after your automobile accident or take some time to develop following the initial injury, it is important that you find immediate medical attention and seek treatment as well as a diagnosis from specialized accident doctors to avoid further injury, other symptoms, and significant pain.
Treatment of Whiplash Injuries
When you contact a car accident doctor for whiplash treatment, your physician will first work to diagnosis the injury using specific tests. These assessments may include a physical examination, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a Computed Tomography (CT) scan, and x-rays.
Once the diagnosis of whiplash has been confirmed, your physician will develop a customized and proper treatment plan to provide the best pain relief and loosen tight muscles, which may create neck or shoulders pain.
Some of the most common whiplash treatments include:
- Physical therapy
- At-home exercises
- Chiropractic care
- Trigger point therapy
- Cervical facet injections
- Medications such as pain relievers and muscle relaxers
- Neck brace
Auto accidents can have severe and long-lasting repercussions on your life and well-being, so it is critical that you seek critical attention from a medical professional for soft tissue damage and other injuries.
Why You Need a Whiplash Doctor for Treatment and Physical Therapy
Although a general practitioner (GP) physician or your family doctor will handle any of your common ailments and illnesses, it is important that you have trained medical specialists on your side and diagnose your injuries resulting from car accidents.
A doctor specializing in treating accident injuries such as whiplash will be able to recognize the symptoms of whiplash right away and prevent whiplash damage from becoming any worse. You will have the best chance of a full recovery and getting back to a normal range for your neck, back, and shoulders as quickly as possible.
Whether it is an orthopedist, physical therapist, pain management expert, chiropractor, acupuncturist, or any other type of specialist such as the ones we provide at Workers’ Comp Doctor, you can rest assured that the injured area will find relief sooner than if you were to visit your family physician.
How to Find a Qualified Whiplash Doctor for Your Neck Pain
If you or a loved one sustained a serious neck injury such as whiplash or any other type of severe injury in a car accident, you need a specialist who deals with accident injuries every day. At Workers’ Comp Doctor, we provide a comprehensive list of medical professionals in your area who are able to treat a wide variety of accident pain and injuries.
The doctors on our free, online list take a multidisciplinary approach to medical care and rehabilitation, have specialized knowledge for car wreck injuries, increased recovery time, and skills in pain management. When you are dealing with the pain and suffering of whiplash, you need a doctor who can diagnose you quickly and begin your treatment as soon as possible, not in a few days (or weeks) from now. All providers in our directory accept no-fault, PIP (personal injury protection), medical liens, and worker’s compensation insurance. Same-day appointments may be available.
Check out our online list of experienced auto accident doctors near you in New York and New Jersey at Workers’ Comp Doctor.