A whiplash injury is classified and a hyper flexion followed by a hyper extension injury to the neck. This is often caused by a rear end collision in a car. The head and neck are thrown violently forwards and then violently backwards onto the headrest. The level of damage is proportionate to the speed and force of the impact, the position of the head rest, the position of the head and neck at the time of impact and previous neck traumas.
Common injuries sustained include strained or torn muscles and ligaments in the neck and upper back, neck and upper back joint locking and strains, muscular spasm, cervico-genic headaches, restriction in head and neck movement associated with acute pain. These symptoms can be immediate in onset or in many cases take two to three days to start.Severe road traffic accidents can often result in many other injuries to the body as well. Shoulders and ribs can often be strained due to the seatbelt and the lower back is often injured as the whole spine sheers forwards as the pelvis remains fixed by the lap belt. If you have been involved in a road traffic accident please contact the clinic as our osteopaths are very familiar with these types of injuries and the treatment costs are more often picked up by the liable insurance company.