Physiotherapy for Whiplash Injury
What is a Whiplash Injury?
Whiplash injury is an injury to the neck or back during an accident or trauma, especially hit from backwards. This is a sudden, forceful jerk which damages the neck or back bone structures and soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, nerve).
Whiplash injury is usually not life threatening or serious, but can lead to permanent, partial disability. Some recovered with minor accidents, most continued to experience symptoms after many years.
What causes a Whiplash Injury?
- car accidents
- sports injury, especially impact sports
- fall
Signs and Symptoms of Whiplash Injury
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Limited neck movement especially bending and rotating
- Headaches, Migraines, Dizziness
- Upper back, lower back pain
- Sensory disturbances and weakness to arm or legs
- Jaw Pain (Tempor0mandibular Joint Pain)
- Tinnitus (Ringing in the ear)
For severe and chronic whiplash injury, may develop depression, post trauma stress syndrome, sleep disturbances, anxiety.
Physiotherapy Treatment for Whiplash Injury
At Physioclinic, our physiotherapist will assess your whiplash injury condition and implement different treatments, such as:
- Pain Relief Treatment: Ultrasound, Electrical Stimulation
- Massage: Soft tissues massage, trigger point massage
- Joint mobilisation or manipulation
- Neck and Back stretching and strengthening
- Core muscles strengthening
Always see a physiotherapist early. Early physiotherapy helps to ensure a faster and full recovery, also depending on the severity of injury.
