Whiplash injuries are most commonly caused by car accidents, though they can also occur from activities such as contact sports or roller coasters.
These types of injuries occur when the head is suddenly jerked forward and backward, straining the ligaments and muscles in the neck.
Pain can range from mild discomfort to intense pain that interferes with a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks. While it is impossible to completely avoid whiplash, there are ways to prevent it that everyone should be aware of. Let’s take a closer look at what whiplash is and how you can protect yourself from it.
Symptoms of Whiplash
Most people experience neck stiffness and tenderness after a whiplash injury. This can be accompanied by headaches, arm pain, shoulder pain, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, blurred vision, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), difficulty concentrating or sleeping well. Victims may also experience emotional disturbances such as irritability or depression due to the physical trauma of the injury.
Preventing Whiplash Injuries
The best way to prevent whiplash injuries is to practice safe driving habits such as wearing a seatbelt at all times and checking your blind spots before changing lanes or making turns. If you’re going on a long car ride, make sure to take frequent breaks so that you don’t become too tired while behind the wheel.
Also adjust your headrest so that your head will not move too far back if you are involved in an accident. If you do find yourself involved in an accident where you may have suffered a whiplash injury, it is important to seek medical attention right away.
Treating Whiplash Injuries
If you believe that you have suffered from a whiplash injury due to someone else’s negligence or recklessness while driving, then consulting with an experienced car accident attorney could be beneficial for obtaining compensation for your medical bills and other damages related to your injuries.
Treatment for these types of injuries usually includes medication for pain relief as well as physical therapy exercises designed to help restore mobility and strength in the affected area. Psychological treatment might be needed if emotional disturbances persist beyond two weeks after the injury occurred.
Whiplash Injury Attorney
Whiplash injuries can range from mild discomfort to intense pain that interferes with everyday activities; however there are steps we can take before being involved in an accident—such as practicing safe driving habits—that will help reduce our chances of experiencing this type of injury if we do end up getting into an accident.
Additionally seeking medical attention immediately following an accident is essential for getting proper treatment if any symptoms arise afterwards; furthermore consulting with a car accident attorney like Kaiman & Crahan could help victims obtain compensation for their medical bills related to their injuries.
Understanding what whiplash is and taking precautionary measures against it will go a long way towards protecting yourself if ever faced with this type of situation.