People all over Sacramento, California get into car accidents every day. Whether it’s a simple fender-bender or a serious collision, one of the most common injuries from an accident is whiplash.
Here at the Office of Sacramento Personal Injury Attorney, Moseley Collins, we speak frequently with people suffering from the pain of whiplash. The following is information we have compiled to help those sufferers we know as well as those we don’t:
According to an article entitled “Whiplash” on emedicinehealth.com, whiplash is a non-medical term used to describe neck pain following an injury to the soft tissues of the neck. It may also be called cervical sprain, cervical strain, or hyperextension injury. The injury occurs when the neck is forced to bend beyond its normal capacity.
The most common cause of whiplash is a car accident and, surprisingly, wearing a seatbelt does not minimize whiplash.
The symptoms of whiplash are;
• Neck pain,
• Neck swelling,
• Tenderness,
• Muscle spasms, and
• Shooting pain from arms into neck.
If you believe you are suffering from whiplash, you should call your doctor or go to the ER immediately. The more quickly you are seen by a medical professional the better your chances for healing will be.
The article, “Whiplash”, describes several treatments your doctor may recommend for whiplash:
• Neck massage
• Neck rest
• Bed rest
• Ice therapy
• Heat therapy
• Oral pain relievers and muscle relaxers
• Immobilization of the neck with a soft cervical collar
• Early range of motion exercises combined with heat therapy starting 72 hours after the injury to restore flexibility
• Avoidance of excessive neck strain for the next week and then increased activity as tolerated in the following weeks
For more information, please call us at (916) 444-4444, or visit our website at www.moseleycollins.com.