The impact of a car accident can cause you pain and discomfort, which requires the care of interventional pain management. Specifically, in a rear-end collision, you may experience whiplash – an issue that occurs when your neck is propelled forward and backward rapidly, which stresses the nerves and soft tissue in your neck.
It can be difficult to determine if you need to see a doctor when it comes to accidents, neck pain, and whiplash. Here are some tips:
Severe Pain
One sign of whiplash is pain. If you have severe pain, you should seek out medical care to help manage your pain. Your practitioner will be able to find solutions that work for you to relieve your pain and discomfort and help you recover.
For instance, your practitioner may recommend you undergo physical therapy, so you can perform exercises that will benefit your condition and ease the pain.
While many people recover completely after whiplash and experience no permanent issues with pain, around 50 percent of people experience pain for a year or longer after their accident. You’re more likely to experience pain long after your accident if you had severe pain initially at the time of the accident. You’re less likely to experience this if you undergo interventional pain management.
Limited Range of Motion
Another sign of whiplash is a loss in the range of motion in your neck. If you notice your neck is stiff and doesn’t move as well as it did prior to the incident, see a doctor. To ensure you regain the range of motion you initially had, you should seek out medical attention.
You’ll undergo physical therapy probably, which will help the soft tissues, gradually increasing in difficulty, so you regain as much of the function in your neck as possible.
Headaches or Migraines
Another sign of whiplash that means you should see a doctor is headaches. Some whiplash symptoms do not manifest immediately – headaches are one of them. Your headache may start immediately after the accident, the same day, or even a few days later.
Unfortunately, you don’t quite know how long the headache or migraine will last. It can interfere with your daily life and come back repeatedly. Therefore, if you have a persistent headache after a car accident, you should seek out medical attention.
Sleep Disturbances
You may have difficulty getting to sleep or have poor quality sleep after whiplash. This can interfere with your daily life and leave you feeling tired and exhausted. This is a common sign that you need medical care.
Numbness, Tingling, or Pain in Arms and Shoulders
Pain and other symptoms from whiplash aren’t limited to your neck. Sometimes, the pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness will go beyond your neck to your shoulders and arms. This is a common sign of severe whiplash and should be treated by a doctor quickly. Whiplash symptoms tend to get worse the longer they are left untreated by a professional.
Whiplash Diagnosis and Treatment in Delaware
At Delaware Back Pain & Sports Rehabilitation, we have a team of practitioners who are experts when it comes to orthopedic injuries and accidents. If you have suffered whiplash or another injury from a car or sports accident, visit us today. We can help you get on the road to recovery quickly.
Book an appointment with us by calling (302) 529-8783 or fill out our online appointment request form.
