Do you have whiplash? Maybe or maybe not. Most of society correlates the term “whiplash” with auto accidents. They also correlate whiplash with neck pain and stiffness. While this is somewhat accurate, it is an incomplete picture of the entire truth. The term whiplash is still in use and accepted by the general public. Yet, in the professional research arena, the current descriptive term for neck injuries following auto accidents is ‘cervical acceleration/deceleration syndrome (CAD).
Whiplash or CAD terms are also more of a description related to a specific mechanism of injury. They are not a description of a particular symptom. For the purposes of this article, we will stick to the term whiplash, which the public is more familiar with. We hope it gives you a better idea of the symptoms or complaints to pay attention to. This will help you know whether you have suffered whiplash related injuries following an auto accident.
Symptoms of Whiplash
Symptoms following an auto accident are vast and more complex than people realize. The following is a shortlist of some of the most common symptoms reported. If you exhibit any of these, you may be suffering from whiplash related injuries.
- Headaches
- Neck pain and/or stiffness
- Shoulder pain and/or stiffness
- Back pain and/or stiffness
- Jaw pain/popping/stiffness
- Chest Pain
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness/Loss of balance
- Difficulty concentrating and/or poor attention
- Nausea or upset stomach
- Loss of appetite
- Sleeplessness
- Increase anxiety or stress
- Rapid mood swings
Understanding the Timing of Whiplash
A person who may have whiplash injuries could also experience different symptoms. They can be at different frequencies and different intensities. That’s why you’ll also hear terms such as ‘delayed onset of symptoms’. Sometimes ‘early whiplash’, and ‘late whiplash’ describe these types of symptoms. For the purposes of this article, we will be looking at basic symptoms to pay attention to after an auto accident.
The timing of symptoms is important to help determine the cause. For example, a person gets in an auto accident and immediately develops new pain symptoms. It would be logical to assume that the accident is the cause.
Whiplash Can Be Delayed After An Accident
Most of the time, people get a general stiffness and achiness right after a collision. It may seem like the stiffness and soreness will resolve on their own. Yet, more often than not, symptoms don’t manifest until several days or weeks after an auto accident. This usually results in a person “under-reporting” symptoms to their insurance claims adjusters, paramedics on the scene, ER doctors, and/or family members.
The worsening of symptoms after an auto collision is the common pattern of whiplash. This leads to a contradiction if the injured person’s symptoms start to elevate over the next week or two. If new headaches and neck pain begin to manifest following an auto accident. The cause is likely due to the collision. Especially if there have been no other reported injuries.
What Should You Do?
Whether you think you have it or not, you should always get checked by a doctor after a car accident. It’s more important if you are experiencing new pain symptoms. You’ll also want to choose one that has experience handling auto collision injuries. Even if the auto accident occurred several months ago, you can still get checked. It is also very important to not close your medical claim until you have an experienced doctor check you. A good experienced auto collision chiropractic doctor can often uncover hidden injuries that the patient may not be aware of.