Whiplash

I have had a few neck injuries in the past, a whiplash from a wreck and an injury from believe it or not, a basketball at full speed to the back of the head. Both experiences were unpleasant, but everything has gotten better.

Our spine is a pliable vertical bone in segments that connect the skull, ribs and pelvis. An adult spine is composed of 26 vertebrae held together by intervertebral discs that act as a ligament to hold the vertebrae together. The individual vertebrae named according to region and position are four – cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral. There are seven cervical bones that connect the neck to the head. Muscle tissue, tendons and ligaments envelope and prop up the spine.

Most injuries to the cervical spine are usually brought about by a brutal force that tightens the spine to the shoulder or in a high-impact accident that actually causes the head to jerk uncontrollably. Commonly known as whiplash, the back and forth whipping of the head is an injury that implicates the muscles and ligaments rather than the skeleton. One out of five ends up with this type of neck pain involving car accidents. The intervertebral joints, discs, ligaments, cervical muscles and nerve roots can also be affected with whiplash. Typically occurring in vehicular accidents involving the rear-end, this type of neck injury can also occur in other types of car crashes and sports as well.

You will understand how the pain occurs instantaneously after the collision if you have obtained a whiplash injury before. Pains occurring in the shoulder and back, and stiffening of the muscles may also happen. Other symptoms associated with whiplash are lightheadedness(symptomatic of a concussion), headaches, grumpiness, trouble in swallowing and chewing (involving the esophagus and larynx), and burning or tingling of the senses. More symptoms of whiplash are pains between the shoulder blades, in the shoulders, in one or both arms, weariness, ringing in the ears, eyesight troubles, easily gets distracted, lower back pains and sleeping disorders.

Here’s the good part, whiplash can be cured. Nearly all who got injured with whiplash got cured within two to four weeks. Clearly, it all depends on the degree of the injury sustained and the victim itself. Remedies for whiplash may include placing a cervical collar, use of heat therapy to relive muscle pain and tension, administering pain relievers, series of movement exercises and physical therapy. The neck collar may be required for two to three weeks while the pain lasts for two to four weeks. Of course, good nutrition, adequate sleep and taking care not to re-injure the neck will speed the healing process.

If you doubt that you have whiplash injury after you’ve been in a car crash, seek medical treatment. More than likely you will have to wear a cervical collar for a few weeks, but with proper care and patience, healing can be complete in just a short time.

A car neck pillow is probably what you will need in case you journey a whole lot. This safeguards your neck and gives you comfort. At Safe Home, you are able to decide on from a large array of car neck pillows which will fit your taste.