How is whiplash treated?
Whiplash can affect different people in different ways, which means there is no single treatment for a whiplash injury. Once a whiplash injury has been diagnosed by a doctor following an accident, the doctor will usually recommend that you carry out some excercises to help recover from the injury. Over the initial 24 hour period it may also be beneficial to apply an ice pack to the neck to help to reduce any inflamation to the neck. In most minor cases of whiplash, this will be sufficient without any further treatment.
As well as carrying out excercises, in some cases of whiplash it may also be necessary to take some form of pain relief. Normally paracetamol would be sufficient, but in some cases your doctor may prescribe some stronger painkillers.
It is important that you try to exercise and continue your normal routine as soon as possible, as research has shown that whiplash patients who rest for several weeks and wear a soft collar actually take longer to recover.
Below are some excercises to help relieve the pain of a whiplash injury from netdoctor.co.uk.
- Stand against a door or a wall with your head facing forward and move your eyes so you look towards the two, four, eight, and 10 o’clock positions. Repeat this a few times. This eye movement causes a slight movement in some deep muscles in the back of the head.
- Next, take a step forward and perform the following movements.
- Bend the back of the head carefully forward as if taking a bow. Return to the starting position with your head straight and facing forward.
- Draw the chin in towards your neck and bend the head carefully forward. Return to the starting position. Bend the head backwards far enough to look at the ceiling. Return to the starting position.
- Tilt the head sideways, so the right ear is near the right shoulder. If possible try to maintain the glance at a fixed point at eye level. Return to the starting position. Repeat this action with the head tilted to the other side.
- Turn the head as if trying to look backwards over the shoulder, first to the left and then to the right. Imagine following a horizontal line on the wall at eye level.
- You can also use a beach ball or a soft ball to exercise the head and neck muscles. Place the ball between the wall and the forehead and then try to move it around on the wall in circles or figures of eights. Repeat the exercise, this time placing the ball between the back of the head and the wall.
Contact the National Accident Helpline on 0800 6783 601 or complete our online personal injury claim form.
For more information on whiplash and making a personal injury compensation claim for a whiplash injury, click on the links below.
