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Understanding whiplash and its symptoms

On Behalf of | Oct 2, 2019 | Personal Injury |

Most people who live in Kentucky have probably heard about whiplash. Sometimes this condition is the subject of jokes, but the reality is that it is far from a joking matter as the pain and physical limitations associated with a whiplash injury can have a bit impact on a person’s daily life. 

As indicated by the Mayo Clinic, a motor vehicle accident in which a person is hit from behind is the most common scenario from which whiplash occurs. It is common for some people to recover from a whiplash experience fully, but it is also possible for someone to be left with long-term, chronic pain or other symptoms after experiencing a whiplash event.

Many people think that when they have whiplash, they have a sprain in their neck, but WebMD indicates that this is not the case. A sprain results when the ligaments that hold bones together are torn. In whiplash, the ligaments are not affected. Instead, whiplash involves the tendons that hold muscles to the bones or the muscles themselves. One or both of these things are strained, not sprained, in a whiplash injury.

Some symptoms of whiplash may not be things that one might automatically associate with a neck injury. These include numbness or tingling that is felt through the arms, fatigue or even the feeling of being dizzy. Other, more recognizable symptoms include a reduced ability to move the neck to one or both sides as well as pain, slight tenderness or stiffness through the neck area.