Whiplash Could Lead To a Serious Spinal Cord Injury

A whiplash injury , also known as neck sprain or strain, is a result of the sudden movement of the neck during an accident. Whiplash occurs more often in rear-end accidents where there is a sudden jolting of the neck forward and backward. This may also appear in some slip and fall accidents. Although it may seem like a simple injury, whiplash can cause some of the neck muscles and ligaments to stretch more than usual and even tear. In severe cases, whiplash can cause a spinal cord injury. It can also affect the cervical muscles, inter-vertebral joints and ligaments discs and nerve roots.

Some of the symptoms of whiplash injuries may include:

• Neck Stiffness and Pain
• Myofascial injuries or injuries to the muscles and ligaments
• Headache, dizziness and blurred vision
• Difficulty swallowing and chewing and hoarseness of voice
• Paresthesias or abnormal sensations such as burning or prickling
• Shoulder and back pains
• Irritability

Fortunately, a whiplash injury can be treated with the proper medication and the appropriate amount of physical therapy. Although whiplash injuries may not seem to be a serious injury, the victim still needs medical attention and it should not be avoided. Therapy and medications are likely needed to prevent further complications. Proper whiplash diagnosis is done by a physician with a thorough head and neck examination usually with the use of X-rays to rule out bone fractures and it may involve the use of additional medical imaging to determine if there are other more severe injuries.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), near the NE North Carolina (NC) border and handles car,truck,railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. Our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.

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