Category: Neck Pain | Author: Stefano Sinicropi
Whiplash occurs when your head and neck are forcefully thrown in one direction relative to the rest of your body. It’s very common in car accidents, especially rear-end collisions, and can also occur in contact sports and as a result of a fall. This abrupt trauma on the neck region can lead to soft tissue tears and even fractures, and pain likely won’t be your only symptom. Some of the most common symptoms associated with a whiplash injury include:
- Stiffness
- Decreased range of motion
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Memory/Concentration issues
These symptoms can make your daily life quite uncomfortable, which is why most people will do whatever they can to make the fastest recovery possible after a whiplash injury. In today’s blog, we explore five factors that influence your length of recovery after a whiplash injury.
Decreasing Recovery Time After Whiplash Injury
Let’s dive into some of the factors that will influence your expected recovery timeline after a whiplash injury. Some of these factors are controllable, while others are out of your hands, but focus on trying to influence the controllable factors on this list.
- Tissue Damage – First and foremost, the severity of your head and neck injury will dictate your expected recovery timeline. The more severe the tissue damage, the longer recovery will likely take. That said, there will still be ways to influence your recovery period, potentially shaving days or even weeks off your rehabilitation. Regardless of the severity of your whiplash injury, there will be ways to help move the recovery process along.
- Prompt Medical Attention– One of the best things you can do if you suspect that you suffered a whiplash injury is to seek out medical attention. As we mentioned in the intro, a few different injuries can occur during whiplash trauma, and it’s important you understand exactly what you’re dealing with. The treatment course for tissue tears, shifted cervical discs or a vertebral fracture will all differ slightly, so knowing what you’re up against can allow the doctor to chart the perfect course of care. If you have been injured in an automobile accident and are considering filing a claim, prompt medical care will also be essential for helping to prove the legitimacy of your injury claim.
- Active Treatments– Far more often than not, you’ll be able to shorten your rehabilitation period by pursuing active treatments. Rest and pain medications play a role in a comprehensive treatment plan, but they aren’t going to strengthen injured tissues or restore lost flexibility. You’ll notice the most improvement by throwing yourself into a physical therapy routine or by regularly practicing some stretching exercises. Follow your physician’s recommendations, but know that you’ll make a stronger and faster recovery by pursuing active care interventions instead of just taking medications and laying in bed.
- Age And Overall Health – You age and your overall health will also play a role in how fast you’ll recover after a whiplash injury. Younger individuals typically recover a little quicker than older adults, and those people with underlying health conditions that affect their circulation or immune response may also notice delayed recovery. You can’t control your age, but working to control any underlying health conditions can help to speed up your recovery after a whiplash injury.
- Posture Awareness– Finally, it’s also important to be cognizant of your spinal alignment when you’re recovering after a whiplash injury. When you have healthy posture, the weight of your head is supported by your spinal column. If your head shifts forward or backward too far, your neck has to deal with managing this increased stress at a time when it’s already been weakened by the whiplash injury. This added stress can delay healing or even worsen the original injury, so make it a point to have healthy posture and fix your body positioning any time you notice that you’ve shifted out of an ideal spinal alignment.
For best results treating a whiplash injury, connect with a specialist who has decades of experience helping patients overcome their specific head and neck injuries. In the greater Twin Cities area, connect with Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
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