Suffering from Whiplash What is the cause of it
Suffering from Whiplash? What is the cause of it?
There are many aspects that can cause the onset of whiplash such as a sudden blow to the head, which can be caused by contact sports or from being hit with an object or a more long term aspects like repetitive damage such as cradling a telephone between your shoulder and head. Even everyday activities like a slip, trip or fall can cause a whiplash injury; however the most common cause remains car/motorcycle accidents.
Whiplash occurs when a sudden jerk or jolt affects the body, making your head move violently away from your body. This causes your neck to move beyond its normal range of movement, which in effect makes the ligaments, tendons and muscles in your neck stretch and strain. In the case of a road traffic accident such as a car or motorcycle accident the pure force of stopping suddenly makes your head move away from your body, whether it happens in a sideward motion or whether it happens in a forwards/backwards motion.
So how do you know if you are suffering from a whiplash injury? The most common pain is neck pain but in addition to neck pain you may also suffer from the following:
• Neck stiffness
• Injuries to the muscles and ligaments
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Abnormal sensations such as burning or prickling
• Shoulder Pain
• Back pain
The symptoms that are associated with whiplash injuries may be present directly after the road traffic accident or they may be delayed for several days. Either way if you have been involved in a road traffic accident you should visit your GP regardless of whether you are showing symptoms or not. This is important to as they will be able to detect and treat any injury that you may have as a result of your road traffic accident. The way in which a doctor will be able to diagnose whiplash is by analysing the symptoms that you describe as well as taking x-rays in order to rule out any other possibilities.
It has been estimated that roughly 43% of people who attend hospital with a whiplash injury will have gained the injury through a road traffic accident. Road traffic accidents come in different types such as a rear end car accident. Within a rear-end car accident, the car that has been hit will speed up, as will the occupant’s body, which is touching the seat. The head and neck, however, is not touching the seat and will be thrown first backwards, then forwards, as it tries to catch up with the body.
With whiplash the symptoms can last up to six months and maybe more before they finally and completely disappear. In some cases there may even be long-term neck discomfort, depending on how bad the injury is, and how effective treatment has been.
If you have suffered from whiplash after a road traffic accident that was caused through no fault of your own then you may be able to put a claim in for compensation. Get in touch with a legal team today and find out where you stand with making a claim for compensation.
Helen is the web master of Accident Consult, specialists in all forms of Whiplash Compensation Claims.
Suffering from Whiplash? What is the cause of it? / Author: Helen
