5 min read time
Table of Contents
How Long Does Whiplash Persist After a Car Crash
As a car accident attorney who has worked with clients who suffer neck injuries from motor vehicle collisions, I understand how confusing whiplash timelines can be and the wide range of recovery times. However, I do understand that the duration of pain often hinges on injury severity, how quickly whiplash treatment begins, and how treatment is handled by medical professionals.
Early physical therapy, chiropractic care, and pain management, including the use of pain relievers or muscle relaxants, can influence recovery time. Additionally, diagnostic imaging, such as MRI scans, may be required to rule out bone injuries and guide the treatment plan, which can influence recovery timelines.
What Factors Affect How Long Whiplash Lasts
Several factors alter recovery duration, including the severity of the motor vehicle crash, the extent of soft tissue injuries, and preexisting neck pain conditions.
Early evaluation by a healthcare provider and consistent physical therapy, along with movement exercises and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, can accelerate healing, while delayed care often leads to slow recovery and chronic pain.
Additionally, age, weight, prior injuries, overall fitness, and the presence of numbness or nerve damage also influence the healing process.
How Quickly Does a Whiplash Injury Usually Resolve
Typically, patients with mild whiplash injuries experience reduced neck pain after 7-10 days of rest and pain medications, and by the second week, a physical therapist often helps restore full range and improve muscle strength. Most noticeable symptoms, such as pain and mild numbness, typically resolve within 2-4 weeks, with full recovery usually occurring within 3 months, unless severe injuries extend the recovery period.
Understanding Whiplash and Its Causes
As a personal injury attorney who has guided clients through whiplash claims after motor vehicle crashes, I came to understand that it's good for both victims and attorneys to understand the foundation of whiplash injuries.
Being a soft-tissue strain of neck ligaments and muscles caused by sudden movements in a car crash that force the head to move faster than the body, whiplash presents symptoms such as pain, stiffness, and headaches, that can worsen without support from healthcare professionals who can provide imaging tests, diagnose the severtiy of whiplash, and initiate treatment to restore movement, control pain, and lower discomfort.
Definition and Biomechanical Basis of Whiplash
A whiplash injury occurs when the head jerks forward and then backward during a car accident, creating a twisting force that exceeds the normal range of motion in the upper spine.
This rapid movement strains the cervical vertebrae, discs, and neck muscles, and can cause small tears in the ligaments that hold the neck together, potentially affecting the spinal cord. The injury often remains hidden until whiplash symptoms start, which can include pain, numbness, and other chronic issues, showing why seeking medical attention immediately after a car crash is crucial to diagnose whiplash or any other hidden injuries before they worsen.
Population Groups Most at Risk
When it comes to whiplash, older adults over 65 are at higher risk because of their weaker bones and muscles. Women are also more susceptible, as their shorter height, spinal spacing, less muscle cushioning, and potential mismatched headrest height increase impact forces.
Common Scenarios That Lead to Whiplash
Common scenarios that lead to whiplash include:
- Rear-end car crashes where the driver's head is rapidly thrown back and forward.
- Being struck while walking or jogging as a pedestrian.
- A sudden jolt when lifting a heavy box that causes a rapid sideways twist
- A high-speed collision while riding a bicycle or scooter.
- During contact sports such as football or rugby.
Whiplash Symptoms and Their Timing
Whiplash can produce a surprising range of complaints. My clients often report not only neck discomfort but also ear pressure, subtle visual blurring, or a metallic taste that surfaces days later. Some experience a faint clicking in the cervical spine or a sharp jolt when turning the head. Others notice fatigue that interferes with sleep, or a lingering sense of instability.
Recognizing your specific symptoms is crucial to a successful treatment process.
Typical Early Physical Symptoms
Immediately after a car crash, where one may have suffered whiplash, they'll feel a dull ache that starts in the upper back and travels down the neck and may even experience a mild sting when turning and tender spots on the nape, with occasional ringing in the ears or a faint headache.
Additionally, their neck's range of motion may be slightly reduced but can be restored through gentle exercise.
Although the pain may feel mild, these early whiplash symptoms should prompt you to seek an evaluation by a healthcare professional, who can reduce pain, treat the injured area, restore range of motion, and prevent escalation into a more severe whiplash injury.
Delayed or Atypical Symptoms
In some uncommon cases, whiplash symptoms may appear days or weeks after the collision, which can often complicate your personal injury claim.
In these cases, promptly informing both your physician and attorney is vital, as insurers will scrutinize your treatment timeline and question your delayed symptoms.
Approach to Diagnosing Whiplash After a Car Crash
When my clients start showing symptoms of whiplash, I push for them to get it officially diagnosed by seeking a thorough medical review that pinpoints the exact tissues affected by the car accident and addresses symptoms, like numbness and other signs of a whiplash injury.
These medical reviews often involve targeted imaging, such as X-rays to exclude fractures and MRIs that reveal ligament and muscle strain.
The findings are documented in a clear, detailed report that uses a grading system such as the Quebec classification to guide effective treatment, help control pain, and support one's personal injury claim.
Key Elements of the Physical Exam
In addition to imaging, the physical exam evaluates posture, tenderness, and range of motion. After these preliminary checks, doctors may then perform neuro-motor checks and examine cervical points.
Other key elements of a post-accident physical exam may include:
- Active and passive ROM
- Reflex testing
- Sensory exam
- Coordination checks
- Functional activity assessment
These tests help pinpoint injury severity and guide therapy and medical documentation.
Imaging Modalities and Their Roles
Imaging clarifies the nature and severity of any injuries one may have sustained. X-rays quickly rule out broken bones, while CT provides detailed bone views if fractures are suspected. MRI excels at showing torn ligaments, muscle strain, and disc injury, making it a go-to whiplash detector.
A more specialized imaging modality, such as ultrasound, can also assist, as it can track the real-time movement of cervical structures during neck flexion or rotation.
How to Rule Out Other Neck Injuries
Whiplash is a sudden neck injury from a rapid back-and-forth jerk of the head, most often after a car accident or a sports tackle. This rapid movement often causes stretching or tearing of ligaments, muscles, and discs that can result in neck pain, inflammation, and sometimes numbness.
It can worsen with pressure and could evolve into a serious injury if not properly and timely treated. Ruling out the potential of other neck injuries, such as a herniated disc or a pinched nerve, requires you to undergo diagnostic tests and physical exams.
Obtain the Compensation You're Entitled To
Contact Us Today
Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer is a Las Vegas personal injury law firm with over 20 years of experience helping clients obtain maximum compensation following injuries from accidents such as car crashes, worksite injuries, and slips and falls. Over those years, The Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer Law Firm has become an experienced law firm that can ensure exceptional results for any of its clients.
