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.
Can doctors do anything for whiplash?
In short, the answer is yes, a doctor can help with a whiplash injury. While your primary care physician may not be able to treat soft tissue injuries with more than pain medicine, a chiropractor can diagnose the problem and treat it at the source.
What will the ER do for neck pain?
Initial treatment for a neck injury may include rest and icing the affected area. If the injury is mild but causes discomfort, your doctor may recommend medicine for pain and inflammation, along with physical therapy. For more severe neck injuries, bracing or surgery may be required.
What can happen if whiplash goes untreated?
Because a whiplash injury is a strain on your neck muscles as well as the tendons and ligaments in your neck, untreated whiplash can lead to spinal misalignment. When your spine is out of alignment, you can experience chronic structural problems, literally from your head to your feet.
When should you seek medical attention for whiplash Related Questions
What are the red flags in whiplash?
Signs and symptoms of whiplash usually develop within days of the injury, and may include: Neck pain and stiffness. Worsening of pain with neck movement. Loss of range of motion in the neck.
Does whiplash show up on xray?
The difficulty with diagnosing whiplash is that it does not really show up on an X-ray, CT scan or an MRI scan. The diagnosis is usually made by asking the patient how they feel and then proceeding from there. People usually have pain in the back of their neck and they find that the pain is worse when they move.
How do you test for whiplash?
X-rays. Computerized tomography (CT) scans. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.
What is the best position to sleep in with whiplash?
Sleep on your back or side ‚Äù Don’t sleep on your stomach while recovering from whiplash, as it creates an arch in your spine and places pressure on your neck. Sleeping on your back or side keeps your neck and spine aligned and supports your head.
What does neck whiplash feel like?
Pain and stiffness are the most common symptoms of whiplash. You may experience a constant, aching pain, and pain that worsens when you move your head side-to-side or up and down. Pain and stiffness may be accompanied by tense, knotted muscles, muscle spasms, and limited range of motion for moving your neck.
At what point should you go to ER for neck pain?
Call 911 or your local emergency number or have someone drive you to the emergency room if you have severe neck pain that’s associated with: Traumatic injury. Examples include car collisions, diving accidents or falls. Muscle weakness.
Should I go to the ER for neck and back pain?
Go to an Emergency Department if you: Lose control of one or more extremities. Have back or neck pain with fever, chills, changes in appetite or weight loss. Experience lack of bladder control, difficulty urinating or bowel control. Are having trouble sleeping due to severe pain.
At what point should you go to the hospital for neck pain?
For most neck pain, it’s okay to try self-care strategies before seeking medical help. However, if your neck pain is so severe you can’t sit still, or if it is accompanied by any of the following symptoms, contact a medical professional right away: Fever, headache, and neck stiffness.
How do you know if whiplash is serious?
your symptoms spread to your shoulders or arms. moving your head becomes painful. you have numbness or weakness in your arms.
Does whiplash hurt all the time?
While most people who have a whiplash injury recover within a few weeks to a few months, some have persistent pain for several months or longer.
Why is my whiplash getting worse?
Whiplash gets worse Even though you may not have noticed the effects of whiplash for days, weeks, or months, your symptoms could worsen if not treated. You may have stretched or torn key ligaments, tendons, or muscles in your neck or shoulders. Over time, you may have trouble moving your neck or develop chronic pain.
What is stage 4 whiplash?
Whiplash Phase 4: This results in a violent forward-bending motion of your neck, straining the muscles and ligaments, tearing fibers in the spinal discs, and forcing vertebrae out of their normal position.
What are the stages of whiplash?
Grade 0: No complaints about the neck. Grade I: Neck complaint of pain, stiffness or tenderness only. Grade II: Neck complaint AND musculoskeletal sign(s). Grade III: Neck complaint AND neurological sign(s). Grade IV: Neck complaint AND fracture or dislocation.
Are there stages of whiplash?
The Four Phases of a Whiplash Injury. During a rear-end automobile collision, your body goes through an extremely rapid and intense acceleration and deceleration. In fact, all four phases of a whiplash injury occur in less than one-half of a second!
What does a whiplash headache feel like?
What are the symptoms of whiplash headache? Patients with headache after a whiplash injury will typically experience pain in the back of the head where the head meets the neck. This pain may radiate to the temples, the top of the head, the front of the head or down the neck. The pain may be intermittent or constant.
Can a chiropractor tell if you have whiplash?
A chiropractor can evaluate your spine with a thorough examination if you have/think you may have whiplash. They will feel for tenderness and tightness and perform chiropractic adjustments to help reduce inflammation caused by the irritation of the nerves.