David Lloyd

Back on Track Part 1 –

5 Common Myths about Whiplash Injury

There are many common misconceptions about whiplash injuries, what they are and how they should be managed.

This can, in part, be due to a general lack of education around the subject and the increase in companies offering to win compensation should you suffer an accident.

What is a whiplash injury?

The term ‘whiplash’ is applied to a neck injury where the soft tissue (which are the ligaments, tendons and muscles) in the neck are overstretched. This happens when the head and neck are rapidly forced into an abnormal position outside of the normal ranges. The result can be symptoms ranging from pain, loss of movement, headache and stiffness.

I see a number of patients with whiplash injuries in my clinic and they often have very little knowledge about what it is and how best to manage it. The following will attempt to dismay some of the myths surrounding whiplash injuries.

Myth Number 1

Whiplash injuries only affect the neck

This is not always the case. A whiplash injury can also affect the mid and lower spine, especially in rear-end collisions.

Myth Number 2

If you complain of symptoms days after the incident – you must be faking it!

This is a very common myth. Even with severe cases, the effects will only become apparent days or weeks after the initial incident.

Myth Number 3

The x-ray looks clear so you can’t have a whiplash injury

An x-ray will indicate if there has been damage to bones. Whiplash is an injury to the soft tissues which can not be seen on x-ray. More sophisticated scanning methods may allow this.

Myth Number 4

You can only get one from being in a road traffic collision

Wrong - as well as motor vehicle accidents, you can receive a whiplash injury on a sports field, following an assault or after an unexpected fall.

Myth Number 5

Bed rest will make me better in time

Some amount of rest and perhaps analgesics are required, however, you need to keep the neck moving to avoid the condition becoming a chronic problem.

Physiotherapy will help to restore movement again and provide some specific exercises.

Claudia Grant, Physiotherapist DLL Watford Bushey

Part 2 of 'Back on Track' will be on  Low Back Pain