What whiplash is
In a collision, your body is held by the seat belt while your head keeps moving — one way and then the other. That rapid motion stresses the ligaments, muscles and discs of the neck.
The result can be anything from a stiff neck to a disc pressed against a nerve root and felt all the way down to the hand. Whiplash describes how the injury happened, not which injury it is — which is why it is worth finding out which one you have.
Why neck pain often arrives late
Neck pain is one of the most common complaints after a crash, and the one most likely to arrive late. Adrenaline wears off over the first hours, and inflammation builds over the next one to three days.
A neck strain that felt like nothing on the evening of the crash can make turning your head hard two mornings later.
What you might feel
- Stiffness and pain when you turn your head — the usual picture, and usually the one that settles
- Pain across the shoulders or between the shoulder blades, which often comes from the neck
- Headaches at the base of the skull, worse when you move your neck
- Pain, numbness or tingling running down an arm into the hand — a sign that a nerve in the neck may be irritated or compressed
The pattern that should not wait
One uncommon pattern needs identifying early: pressure on the spinal cord in the neck. It can show up as weakness, clumsiness in the hands, or problems with balance. That is not a wait-and-see symptom.
New or worsening weakness in an arm or a leg, or new difficulty walking or keeping your balance, is on the emergency list at the top of this page. It means the ER now.
Signs it is worth being examined
- Pain, numbness or tingling that runs into an arm or a hand
- A grip that feels weaker than it should
- Neck pain that is getting worse rather than better
- Headaches that started with the neck pain and haven't eased
- Stiffness that hasn't started to ease after a week or so
- Neck pain that is interrupting your sleep
What a physician-directed plan looks like
The examination comes first: how you were hit and from which direction, how the neck moves, and the strength, reflexes and sensation in your arms that show whether a nerve is involved. Imaging follows only if the examination raises a question it would answer.
Then a plan you are told about before anything starts — what was found and what the treatment is meant to do. Most whiplash responds to conservative care: activity changes, physical therapy and anti-inflammatory care, with an injection where it would help. Surgery is for the uncommon case that genuinely needs it.
Then a recheck against that plan. Treatment continues because it is working, not because it is on a calendar. If something isn't helping, it stops.
Questions people ask
How long does whiplash last?
It varies too much for a number to be honest. Most whiplash is a soft-tissue injury that settles. Neck pain that is getting worse, or that comes with symptoms in an arm, is the kind worth having examined rather than waited out.
Can whiplash cause headaches?
Yes, and it is one of the more common things it causes. The headache is usually a consequence of the neck injury rather than a separate one, and it is treated by treating the neck.
Do I need an X-ray or an MRI?
Not necessarily. Imaging is ordered when the examination points to something it would answer. Which scan, if any, depends on what the examination finds.
Why does my shoulder hurt if I hurt my neck?
Nerves leave the neck and run through the shoulder and down the arm, so a neck injury is often felt there. It is worth mentioning, because it helps show where the problem actually is.
Care here is directed by Miguel Jimenez, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon — residency at Mayo Clinic, spine fellowship at Hospital for Special Surgery, and 23+ years in practice in Georgia. Full background