A soft tissue injury is an injury that affects muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
Essentially, a soft tissue injury affects tissue other than bone.
Whiplash is one of the most common soft tissue injuries, especially after car accidents.
Whiplash is a soft tissue injury of the neck that is often dismissed as a minor or self-repairing injury, but that is usually not the case.
If you're involved in an accident, and you don't receive proper medical care for a whiplash injury, you risk developing serious complications later down the road.
If you have any reason to believe that you may be suffering from a whiplash injury caused by a car accident, you should get medical attention.
You may also need to contact a car accident attorney about getting compensated for your medical bills and other financial losses.
In the article below, we will talk about what happens if your whiplash injuries are left untreated.
Table of Contents
- What Is Whiplash?
- The First Signs of Whiplash
- What Can Happen if Whiplash is Not Treated Properly?
- Treat Whiplash Immediately
What Is Whiplash?
As we mentioned earlier, whiplash is a soft tissue neck injury resulting from forceful, rapid back-and-forth neck movement.
Whiplash earned its name because it is similar to the cracking of a whip.
Whiplash often occurs during rear-end auto accidents.
However, the injury can also result from sports, physical abuse, or other neck or head trauma.
The common symptoms of whiplash are neck stiffness, soreness, pain, and recurring headaches.
If you begin to feel soreness in your neck and shoulders, or pain in your back after an accident, it may be the first signs of whiplash.
Fortunately, most people with whiplash get better within a few weeks if they see a doctor and follow their treatment plan.
But if whiplash is left untreated, some people have long-lasting complications that can severely affect their health, work, and day-to-day lives.
The First Signs of Whiplash
It's essential to be on the lookout for the early signs of whiplash after a car accident.
Knowing what to look for can prevent you from getting any of the serious damage that comes with untreated whiplash.
Here are the signs and symptoms that are usually the first to emerge:
- Neck pain with swelling, stiffness, and reduced range of motion
- Headaches radiating from the base of the skull
- Ringing or buzzing in the ears
- Dizziness, feeling faint or feeling like the world is spinning
- Tingling or numbness in arms or hands
What Can Happen if Whiplash is Not Treated Properly?
Because whiplash is a soft tissue injury and not a bone fracture, it doesn't show up clearly on X-rays, MRI scans, or CT scans.
Always remember that the absence of abnormality on an X-ray does not mean there's no reason to hurt.
Symptoms can also lay dormant for a few days or even weeks after an accident.
Moderate to severe whiplash is capable of producing painful and pronounced symptoms that make your normal activities completely impossible.
The adrenaline rush that's released after an accident masks pain, which means many accident victims don't feel any pain immediately after an accident occurs.
That's why it is always a good idea to see a doctor within 72 hours of a car accident, even if you don't believe your injuries are severe or you don't feel any pain at all.
If you delay your medical care, the insurance company may use the delay as an excuse to deny your claim.
But even more important than that is that you want to avoid the serious, long-term complications that can develop if whiplash is not promptly diagnosed and treated.
When whiplash goes untreated, you're at increased risk of experiencing chronic pain long after the injury occurs.
The most common side effects of untreated whiplash are chronic neck pain and issues with neck stiffness.
This is because the soft tissue here didn't have any chance to heal, which means that it has ongoing pain.
In addition to chronic pain are other unexpected symptoms, like vertigo and headaches.
Vertigo is the sensation of spinning while you're standing still.
Vertigo impacts each person differently.
Some people faint, while others feel sick or lose their balance.
Either way, it's a debilitating condition that can make it impossible or unsafe to drive or travel.
The vast majority of whiplash patients begin to see improvements within several weeks or months of the injury after treatment.
For those who don't get treatment, chronic stiffness and discomfort can persist for longer than a year.
You may be wondering about your recovery timetable? Read our blog post: "How Long Will it Take You to Recover from Whiplash?"
Treat Whiplash Immediately
A chiropractor can perform an exam to recognize the signs and symptoms of whiplash and create an individualized treatment plan for your recovery.
The treatment plan will usually involve some combination of chiropractic manipulation and targeted exercise.
The goal of whiplash treatment is to control existing pain, restore normal range of motion in your neck and injury areas, and get you back to an active, healthy state.
Car Wreck Doctor has a simple mission.
Their mission is to connect you with professional Medical Doctors, Chiropractors, and Personal Injury Attorneys that are trusted in your local area.
If you need more information on the best medical treatments for whiplash click here.
They want to help you recover physically, as well as financially.
Please don't wait if you believe you're suffering from whiplash.
Car Wreck Doctor can get you in contact immediately with a top chiropractor and personal injury attorney in your area.
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