Got Whiplash? Why Seeing a Pain Specialist After an Auto Accident Is Crucial

The United States is a car-driving nation: in 1913, there were only 2 million drivers compared to today’s 241 million licensed drivers. With so many drivers on the road today, it’s little wonder that more than 6 million car accidents occur each year.

One of the more common automobile crash injuries is whiplash, which can be a painful and debilitating neck injury, and one that can very much benefit from prompt care and pain management.

Well, you’ve certainly come to the right practice for both. At Apex Pain Specialists, Dr. Maziar Massrour and Dr. Naveen Reddy have no small amount of experience helping patients find relief from neck pain and whiplash after an automobile accident.

Below, we dive into how whiplash occurs, signs of this common auto injury, and what steps to take next.

The anatomy of whiplash

Most cases of whiplash occur when a person is rear-ended by another vehicle, which sets off a chain of events that are the classic hallmarks of whiplash.

During a collision of this nature, a person’s head is rocked back and forth forcefully. This sudden force can lead to two key issues:

1. Compression and then extension in the cervical spine
2. Damage to supporting soft tissues, including ligaments and muscles

The physics of whiplash are more complex than what we just described, but our point here is to highlight how whiplash can strain and damage your neck and upper back. And the degree of the damage often depends upon the force of the accident and your positioning in the car.

Side effects of whiplash

The side effects of whiplash are both obvious and not-so-obvious. Making matters more complicated, symptoms can develop immediately, or several hours to several days later. Often, the reason for the delayed onset of symptoms with whiplash happens because adrenaline and stress can kick in and suppress them temporarily.

When symptoms do make an appearance, they often come in the form of:

• Neck pain
• Shoulder and upper back pain
• Tenderness in your neck
• Stiffness in your neck
• Numbness and/or tingling around your neck and shoulders
• Headaches
• Blurry vision
• Dizziness

Again, the severity of these symptoms depends upon the nature of the whiplash. That said, if you’re experiencing any of the above, we strongly suggest that you seek our help.

The importance of early intervention for neck injuries

When it comes to spinal injuries of any kind, we always tell patients to err on the side of caution and get checked out. At the very least, we can work toward relieving your pain and it also gives you a much clearer idea about what you’re dealing with.

If you suspect you have whiplash after a car accident, we first review your symptoms and then perform a few tests. We might also turn to advanced imaging to get a look at the structures inside your neck.

There’s no single test for whiplash, but we let our considerable experience guide us toward the correct diagnosis. If we find that you have whiplash, we can treat the injury with:

• Medications, including muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatory drugs
• Spine injections
• Rest
• Cervical collar
• Hot and cold therapies
• Physical therapy

In many cases, we recommend a combination of treatments for best results. 

What you need to bring to the table is patience as whiplash takes time to heal, but we’re with you every step of the way, making sure that you’re comfortable throughout.

For expert care of car accident injuries and whiplash, please call our office in Chandler, Arizona, at 480-820-7246 today to schedule a visit. You can also use our online booking tool to request an appointment.