As described by the patients who have suffered from the trauma of whiplash; it is not an injury one should avoid. Indeed considered as an injury with a daunting impact on the person suffering. Hence, if not treated properly, whiplash can have long term side effects on one’s physical and mental health.

Whiplash – A brief introduction

An injury caused by sudden and prompt jerks leaving the soft tissues, muscles and ligaments within the neck of a person torn and ripped is known a whiplash. Normally, the whiplash injury occurs when a person is involved in a car accident but certain other actions like sports and physical fights but is mainly because of a car collision.

Because of being quite common and occurring, whiplash is often forsaken and neglected. This is where matters get serious. Despite its ability to cause severe pain to an individual, it also can deteriorate one’s physical and mental well-being.

The impact of a Whiplash injury on a persons’ health and its symptoms can fade away in a couple of days, mostly a week, but still neglecting it can lead towards more long term health conditions. To realize whether the victim is suffering from a whiplash, they need to consider the common symptoms of the injury.

Generic Symptoms of Whiplash

A person suffering from whiplash can have some common symptoms that might not be straight away visible and evident right at first glance. The symptoms normally start appearing after a day or so allowing the victim to realize the unusual indicators towards a health malfunction.

Some of the most common symptoms that are suffered by almost all the victims of whiplash are:

Stiff neck with a reduced range of motion means that the patient is unable to move their neck without hurting themselves or not being able to move it at all.
Neck and shoulder pain as the injury revolves around these two areas being affected.
Headaches are also quite common as sudden movements can cause fatigue and nausea.

There are less common symptoms associated with whiplash but their influence can certainly be a cause of concern. These less frequent symptoms can be mood swings, loss of focus, blurred vision, physical weakness and irritation.

The symptoms associated with the whiplash injury and their effect on the victim is a concerning cause that needs to be treated with the help of medical specialists. The treatment costs of medical also need to be compensated hence; filing for medical compensation is also something that needs to be pondered upon.

Diagnosis and Treatment

As mentioned above, many people tend to forsake the impact of a Whiplash injury on their health but it is best to visit a doctor. Whether you choose to visit your regular physician or an injury doctor (in case you realize the symptoms right after the accident), getting a medical checkup is important.

The doctor would be performing a set number of procedures and ensure that the patient has been diagnosed with proper medication and effective treatment.

Steps to Treatment

· Initial Examination

Since the injury is an internal one hence the condition of the patient cannot be determined just by looking at it. The doctor will perform a set number of physical tests to determine and gage the severity of the injury.

The physical examination a doctor will perform would usually involve the following steps:

Range of motion in the neck and shoulders (sometimes arms) to compare it with a regular range of motion.
The extent of motion after which the victim starts experiencing pain.
Sensitivity in the affected area
Strength, sensations and impulses in limbs.

· Imaging Tests

While imaging tests might not be able to show a lot but they are a useful gizmo when it comes to verifying that the injury and the symptoms are an Impact of a whiplash injury.

The basic imaging tests are performed that involve:

X-rays to disclose and fractures or dislocations in the neck and shoulders.
CT-Scan performed from various angles to get a hold of bone images and to confirm any type of damage to the bones.
MRI Scan to produce 3D images with the help of radio waves as well as a magnetic field. An MRI scan is important as it is a perfect scan of bone injuries, soft tissues and other damage to the neck, spine and the ligaments and disks associated with them.

If the symptoms need special attention and treatment, the general physician would refer the patient to a specialist in the area.

Specialist doctors who are referred to by a general physician are:

· Orthopedic

If the injury has somehow affected the bones and their structure, the victims need to see a specialist of the bones who will work towards getting you in a good shape

· Chiropractic

A chiropractor doctor will work towards getting the whiplash fixed in no time with the help of a drugless medical approach.

Don’t forget the money

While whiplash comes with a lot of common and uncommon issues in health, it also takes a toll out of one’s pocket. Everyone is aware of the medical charges and fee. The good news is; the victim can always claim for compensation for all the losses suffered during the accident.

Proper shreds of evidence, medical history with dates and bills and a good attorney can help you successfully claim and win your monetary compensation of property and health damage. Since whiplash is considered as a minor injury, the medical compensation can generally be around a few thousand dollars i.e. $1000 to $4000.

Conclusion

While whiplash appears as an inconsequential injury to some, it can be quite overwhelming. Getting a proper medical treatment that involves a few procedures performed by the doctor is the road to full recovery and a mean of prevention from long term losses.While the treatment is quite expensive, it can be compensated and paid for with the help of a claim for property and health damage