If you are involved in a car accident and are experiencing neck, shoulder or back pain, this might be we as a result of sustaining a whiplash injury. You may now be experiencing whiplash pain.

Whiplash is the name given to an injury to the soft tissues either in your neck, shoulders or back.

This injury is usually sustained whilst you are a driver or a passenger in a vehicle which is shunted from behind (often at a junction such as a roundabout). The movement of your vehicle backwards and forwards causes your neck to overstretch to both front and rear, causing it to move far beyond its' normal ranges of movement. It is this overstretching that causes your whiplash pain.

Where Can You Feel Whiplash Pain? The main areas will include your neck, shoulders and back. However, it is not unusual to also experience headaches, dizziness and sickness as a result of whiplash. You might feel generally groggy and not as sharp as you usually do. It can be a very disconcerting feeling.

Whiplash Pain Relief. If you have suffered from whiplash pain, what can you do to relieve it? What treatment is available and what action should you take?

Historically, victims of whiplash pain were advised to be fitted with a neck collar, which restricted movement. They were also advised to rest. However, over the course of the last few years the treatment now recommended is to keep the neck mobile which tends to lead to a more speedy recovery.

In addition to this, pain relief and anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed to reduce the swelling around the, shoulder and back area.

Whiplash Pain Recovery. The period of recovery from whiplash will vary from patient to patient. It is not always the case that a low velocity car accident leads to a less severe injury. In fact, many patients experience far more pain when involved in a low speed collision than in a fast one.

Each victim reacts differently but thankfully most people recover from whiplash within a period of weeks rather than months or years. However, some people experience whiplash pain for a number of years, and in the most extreme cases can be a victim of whiplash pain on an ongoing basis. These patients may require further physiotherapy or chiropractic treatment to relieve the symptoms of whiplash, but unfortunately they are unlikely to make a full recovery.

Summary. Whiplash pain can be a debilitating and tiring medical syndrome. Treatment should be sought as soon as possible from your General Practitioner or Accident & Emergency Department to provide you with the best chances of a full recovery.