5 Symptoms of Whiplash

Whiplash is a neck injury that occurs when a sudden jolt of movement whips your head quickly back and forth, straining the muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, and nerves inside your neck. It’s an injury that can happen in a split second. Although it’s the most common car accident injury, it can happen during a sports injury, a fall, or any number of other sudden motion situations. Sometimes, symptoms take hours or days to arrive, but with prompt treatment, here at Del Valle Physical Therapy & Hand Therapy, your Las Cruces physical therapist can help you recover more quickly. If you’ve recently been in a potential whiplash situation, watch out for these five symptoms:

1. Neck Pain and Stiffness

This is the most common symptom of whiplash, and it may take up to 12 hours before it manifests. It may hurt to turn or bend your neck, and you may feel resistance from muscle or ligament inflammation. You may also have sore spots if you touch areas of your neck that were affected by the trauma.

2. Headaches

Strain on the muscles and nerves in the neck can also cause an increase in headaches and migraines after the injury.

3. Pain Radiating to Other Areas

Some cases of whiplash can cause pain to radiate out beyond the neck injury. The head, face, shoulders, and upper arms are common areas of pain for a more serious case of whiplash.

4. Numbness and Tingling

When whiplash occurs, the neck vertebrae grate against each other, which can pinch nerves. In addition to pain, you might also feel either tingling, burning, or a pins-and-needles sensation in the upper back, face, or shoulders. Some people have numb spots in these areas, too.

5. Vision Disturbances

More serious cases of whiplash can be accompanied by blurry vision or vision disturbances that make you dizzy when you try to turn your head.

See the Physical Therapist Las Cruces Whiplash Patients Trust for Pain Relief

No matter what symptom or combination of symptoms of whiplash you’re experiencing, schedule an appointment with us here at Del Valle Physical Therapy & Hand Therapy. Our compassionate, experienced team of physical therapists in Las Cruces, NM can help you feel better again.