Whiplash trauma can occur when the body is reacting to an acceleration or deceleration force. Such forces are quite common during auto accidents, and the persons head is whipped forward and backward violently. These types of injuries are commonly referred to as whiplash injuries, and are quite common when the vehicle has received even a minor impact from behind or from the side. Therefore, when you are involved in auto accident, it would be wise to consult Wirth Chiropractic of Greenville, NC, to have your auto injuries correctly diagnosed and treated.
Manifestation of whiplash injury can include neck pain, shoulder pain, upper or lower back pain, headache, and even fatigue and anxiety. Various factors play a role in the severity of the whiplash trauma, including car speed, direction of the impact, physical and medical condition of the victim, sex, and age. Another reason why you should consult Wirth Chiropractic in Greenville, NC after an auto accident is because whiplash injury can have delayed onset of symptoms, and it could even take months before the symptoms are evident.
However, the common symptoms of whiplash are the following:
Neck Pain
Neck pain is the most common symptom of whiplash trauma in most accident victims. The pain could radiate up to the head, and down and across the shoulder blades. The whiplash momentum can affect various tissues, nerves, and ligaments in the neck, and vertebrae discs and facet joints. Injury to the vertebrae disc usually causes the neck pain, and the pain can become chronic.
Headache
Headache is another common symptom of whiplash injury. Most of these headaches are due to pain radiating to the head, due to injured facet joints, ligaments, and muscles of the cervical spine area. Sometimes the headaches could be caused by direct injury to the brain, which is much more severe condition.
Back Pain
Mainly lower back pain can be the result of whiplash injury, especially when the vehicle has been hit from the side or from behind. The force of the impact causes the tremendous compression in the lower spine area, resulting in the injury and pain.
TMJ Dysfunction
TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) dysfunction is a debilitating disorder that can occur due to whiplash trauma. The symptoms of TMJ dysfunction usually start with jaw pain accompanied with popping and clicking sounds with jaw movements. If you experience these sounds or even minor pain in the jaw area after an auto accident, you should immediately consult Wirth Chiropractor located in Greenville, NC to start the correct treatment.
