Whiplash

How common it is

An injury to the neck due to a motor vehicle crash is often referred to as a whiplash injury, and typically occurs as a result of a rear-end collision, where any structure of the neck might be strained. ^[1]

Symptoms described include neck pain, headache and neck stiffness, and some people may also feel unsteady or light headed. Recovery depends on the individual and the extent of the injury, and can vary from a few weeks to months. ^[1] Nobody can tell you on day one which of those you will be.

What can be behind it

The head is thrown through a rapid arc the neck did not brace for. Joints, ligaments, discs and muscles can all be strained in the same event, which is why the picture is rarely one clean structure.

The reason symptoms turn up late is that the soft tissue response builds over a day or two. It is also why people talk themselves out of getting checked: they felt fine at the scene, so they assume they were lucky.

• Strained ligaments and joint capsules in the neck
• Muscle guarding across the neck and upper shoulders
• Headache referred from the upper cervical joints
• Restriction in the mid back from the same event

How we assess it

Screening comes before anything else. We take the mechanism of the accident in detail, screen for the injuries that belong in an emergency department, and carry out a neurological examination. Head injury, a change in consciousness, unsteadiness or light-headedness, severe or worsening neurological signs, or symptoms that are not settling as expected mean medical assessment first.

When it is appropriate to proceed, the examination is the usual careful sequence through the cervical and thoracic spine, with X-rays taken on site if the findings call for them and any fee explained beforehand. Everything found is documented, which matters for both your care and your claim.

What care looks like

Early treatment for whiplash may include advice and education on how to care for the neck, and returning to gentle movement rather than resting the neck completely. ^[1] We start gently and adjust the technique to what the tissues will accept, which in the first week is often instrument work rather than a manual adjustment.

If your injury came from a transport accident in Victoria, the Transport Accident Commission may help pay for treatment. It publishes a list of treatments and services approved in the first 90 days, and sets out when you or your provider need to ask for approval. ^[2] If you have a claim number, bring it to the first visit.

When to seek urgent care

We are not an emergency service. If you have loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the saddle area, weakness in both legs, or pain after a serious accident, call 000 or go to an emergency department.