It is estimated that in up to 20% of all car accidents one or more passengers receive a whiplash injury resulting in pains in and around the neck area. The pain and discomfort is causes by a whiplash movement of the neck from the sudden impact of the crash.
The whiplash motion begins at the time of impact and the head is thrown backwards aggressively while the body is going forwards this is known as hyperextension because the muscles of the join become straightened excessively.
The sudden movement forward s or hyperflexion is caused by the vehicle brakes being applied quickly throwing the head forwards. It doesn’t take a long time for a whiplash injury to occur in a car accident possibly less than 1 second.
It is not common for any bones in the neck to be damaged when the whiplash movement occurs its usually just the neck muscles and possibly the joints and ligaments that suffer at the effects of the whiplash injury.
For people who have sustained a whiplash injury the symptoms are common such as neck pain and restricted neck movement. Whilst other symptoms are far less common, such as tingling pains and heaviness in the arm.
Common symptoms
The most common symptoms in whiplash injuries are neck pain and restricted neck movement. A high percentage of all reported cases of whiplash report neck pain and doctors have pointed out that in 60% of whiplash related neck injury the facet joints are responsible. These joints site between the neck and the vertebrae in the neck allowing them to rotate and do not perform their job properly when damaged.
Headaches are also very common symptoms of a neck injury caused by whiplash and are reported in over 70% of cases. Whiplash injury headaches are known as cervicogenic headaches and occur from damage to the neck.
Lower back pain is also a common complaint of whiplash injury experience in an average of 50% of cases of whiplash injury sufferers.
Less common symptoms
Less common issues following a whiplash injury are tingling pains and heaviness in the arms, pain in the arm and shoulder areas experienced by some even when no injury can be found as a result of deferred pain. Memory problems, loss of sleep, irritability, tinnitus, blurred vision and loss on concentration are all other less common symptoms after a whiplash injury.
If you think you have a whiplash injury and would like to make a claim our service is completely free and without obligation. We will help you with a no win no fee claim for compensation.
We help many people each year claim compensation following whiplash injuries, sometimes in the most unusual of circumstances, so whatever your accident or the circumstances we would like to help.
Call us on 0845 867 65 44 or complete our online form and we'll call you back and tell you whether you have a valid claim. |
