24 January, 2022
Whiplash is a soft tissue injury around your neck and spine that’s also called a neck sprain. If you’ve recently been in a car accident and feel stiffness in your neck, shoulders, or back, you must seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Soft tissue injuries and whiplash require time and careful treatment to heal correctly. Putting off treatment can prolong the pain and the incapacitating side effects that whiplash can cause. Failing to seek treatment can negatively impact your life in many ways that include preventing any chance of a successful injury claim for compensation. Most importantly, delaying treatment for whiplash can damage your muscles and joints and can last a lifetime.
Whiplash is one of the most common injuries from a car accident. Whiplash is a soft tissue injury that affects the tendons, ligaments, and muscles around your neck, shoulders, and back. When your head is suddenly thrown forward and back, like the cracking of a whip, whiplash typically occurs. This force of your head jerking abnormally can tear the sensitive tissues and muscles connected to your spine that can cause significant damage if left untreated.
Too often, whiplash injuries are considered minor, and many believe that with enough rest, the wound will heal itself. They end up dismissing this injury as nothing to be concerned about. However, it can cause severe, long-term complications.
When whiplash is untreated, victims often experience the following symptoms:
After a car accident, whiplash injuries aren’t usually felt until hours or days later because of the spike of adrenaline that your body produces from the impact. After your body relaxes, the pain of whiplash sets in. Whiplash injuries generally don’t show up on an X-Ray, CT, or MRI scan. That’s no reason to dismiss the severity of the whiplash, however. This soft tissue injury can produce painful symptoms that make simple movements feel impossible. Many doctors will prescribe medications, neck collars, physical therapy, and continuous chiropractic care for treatment.
Whiplash and soft tissue injuries take a long time to heal. If you delay seeking treatment for your whiplash injury, you can end up prolonging your suffering. The most common side effects of untreated whiplash include:
If you delay seeking treatment for whiplash, eventually, you may not be able to move your neck at all without feeling intense pain. A doctor can help you learn how to increase your neck’s range of motion so your muscles and tissues can heal. Failing to practice this careful motion can result in improper muscle healing and stiffness and limit your neck’s range of motion forever.
Prolonged neck pain can lead to intense headaches and migraines. These can last for hours or days and become a chronic condition.
Pain in your neck, back, and shoulders can make sleeping at night next to impossible. Chronic pain can result in many restless nights with little to no sleep.
The pain of whiplash can make everyday tasks feel impossible. That difficulty can lead to anxiety and depression, since going about tasks that you once didn’t think twice about suddenly cause debilitating pain. That anxiety and depression can snowball, causing relationship problems professionally and personally.
Whiplash injuries can strike the neck synapses that connect to the brain. This impingement can cause dizzy spells that stop you in your tracks as you feel like you’re spinning. This spinning sensation is known as vertigo, and it can cause a person to fall while standing up. Vertigo can strike while you’re driving or operating machinery, which can lead to an unfortunate accident.
Tinnitus is the persistent ringing and buzzing in the ears. Victims suffering from tinnitus often have difficulty concentrating and focusing for long periods. This condition can prevent victims from having a good night’s sleep, which can cause irritability.
Whether you think your injuries are severe or not after your accident, it’s imperative that you seek treatment as soon as possible. Waiting longer than 72 hours can give insurance companies reason to deny any claim for coverage that you make. Seeing a medical professional as quickly as possible will allow early diagnosis and treatment of any injury, like whiplash, that you might suffer. The sooner you get treatment, the sooner you recover and avoid any long term side effects of whiplash.
The Barnes Firm’s team of personal injury attorneys are highly experienced in car accident cases involving whiplash injuries. Our proven track record of successful car accident settlements is a testament to our tirelessly advocacy and dedication to our clients. If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by the negligence of another driver, call The Barnes Firm to get the compensation you need to recover from your injuries.
To speak with one of our attorneys about your case, schedule your free consultation by completing an online contact form, or call us today at (800) 800-0000.
The Barnes Firm (800) 800-0000
Written by The Barnes Firm, reviewed by Richard Barnes
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Rich Barnes
President
Richard Barnes: “As President of The Barnes Firm, I have dedicated my career to achieving justice in hundreds of cases for the victims of injuries caused through the fault of others. Additionally, I have been honored to have been elected Best Lawyer and a Super Lawyer”
Years of Experience: 30+ years
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This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney president Rich Barnes who has more than 30+ years of legal experience as a practicing personal injury trial attorney.
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