What is it?
Whiplash is the common name for neck symptoms after an accident, such as a rear-end collision, a fall or an impact during sport. Your head is thrown back and forth with force. Physiotherapists call it trauma-related neck pain.
Neck pain and headache are the most common symptoms. You can also get a stiff neck and shoulders, pain in your arms or tingling. Symptoms can start straight away or only later.
Staying active and loading your neck a little more step by step helps you recover. Your physiotherapist guides you and watches for signs that you need to see a doctor. Most of the progress comes in the first few months.
Common causes
- A rear-end collision
- A head-on collision or single-vehicle accident
- Being a passenger in a collision
- A fall or impact during sport
- An accident at work
How we diagnose
We ask how the accident happened, which symptoms you have and how they have developed since. Your physiotherapist examines how your neck, shoulders and upper back move, and tests sensation, strength and reflexes in your arms.
If anything points to an injury a doctor should assess, we send you to your GP first. Otherwise we draw up a plan together.
Treatment approach
You keep doing your normal activities as much as you can, with adjusted work if needed. Together with your physiotherapist you expand your exercises and activities step by step. You get a clear explanation of what you feel and what to expect.
If you recover more slowly than expected, we look at what is holding you back, such as a lot of worry or fear of moving.
Expected recovery
Pain and limitations ease the most in the first three months after the accident. Some people still have some neck pain for months after that.
A lot of pain and worry early on is linked to slower recovery. We pay attention to both from your first appointment.
