You’re driving along when the sudden impact of another car jolts you. While being rear-ended was far from fun, you’re grateful to feel fine physically — at first, anyway. Several days later, an ache creeps into your neck.
If you were involved in a car accident days before your neck pain started, you might well be dealing with whiplash. Taking whiplash signs seriously can help ensure efficient treatment and a full recovery.
Our expert team at Houston Pain Specialists, led by board-certified pain management specialist Hui Kang, MD, treats back pain, neck pain, and a range of injuries related to auto accidents.
Read on to learn more about whiplash, including why related neck pain might not appear for a few days.
Whiplash results from your head and neck moving due to a sudden change in the direction or speed. It gets its name from the motion your head and neck make, like a whip lashing to and fro. And motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause.
You can also develop whiplash from playing a contact sport, like hockey or football, or from riding a roller coaster. Less commonly, a fall that affects your head and neck can cause whiplash.
Whiplash affects people differently, although neck pain and stiffness are hallmark symptoms. Other signs of whiplash may include:
These symptoms can interfere with your sleep, making way for tiredness and fatigue. Whiplash may also cause blurred vision, confusion, and ringing in your ears (tinnitus).
It might seem strange that an injury doesn’t hurt at first, but whiplash symptoms often arise one or more days after a collision.
A car accident can prompt a rush of adrenaline and endorphins in your body, which can numb or mask your pain. Inflammation may also build gradually, resulting in subtle pain that increases over the course of hours or days.
A comprehensive exam is the best way to determine if your neck pain stems from whiplash. Such assessment is important not only for appropriate whiplash treatment, but to rule out or pinpoint other potential neck pain causes, such as a fracture.
Prompt whiplash treatment may also help safeguard you from complications, such as chronic pain.
To get the diagnosis or support you need after a car accident, contact our Houston, Texas, office today to schedule an appointment. It’s never too soon to get checked out.
