Whiplash and Neck Pain After Injury: Causes, Red Flags and Advice

If you’ve had a whiplash injury then the most useful thing I can offer you is a proper look at what’s actually going on in your neck.

Whiplash itself usually settles with time, staying active and simple pain relief and for many people that is all it takes. But recovery isn’t always straightforward and it helps to have someone like myself, a chiropractor,  assess whether stiffness, mechanical neck pain or a headache coming from the neck is lingering longer than it should after your injury. Those are the kinds of mechanical problems I see often and a chiropractic assessment lets me tell you whether I can help you or whether you’d be better served by your GP or a physiotherapist or if working alongside them is the best choice.

You’re welcome at any stage, early on or months after an accident when and if things still hurt, to contact me for a chat or to book a free 15 minute consultation to talk things through. I can offer guidance on where you can go from here post injury and it’s a good proactive place to start.

“Leslie’s attention to detail and clear explanation of diagnosis gives you confidence”

Both my husband and I are regular patients of Bournemouth Chiropractic and have benefited tremendously from the care and expertise offered by Leslie. Wether it’s for an injury, a previous existing condition or a regular ‘tune-up’ Leslie’s attention to detail and clear explanation of diagnosis gives you the confidence required to enable recovery.

Kat B

What is whiplash and neck pain after injury?

Whiplash or whiplash-associated disorder, describes neck injury caused by a sudden back-and-forth or sideways movement of the head, most commonly in a car accident but also from falls, sports collisions or a physical knock. Doctors classify it using a grading system running from Grade I, pain and stiffness with no physical signs, up to Grade IV, involving a fracture or dislocation.[1]

Whiplash neck pain is a different category from what I’d call mechanical neck pain, which by definition doesn’t stem from an injury one of several patterns covered on the main neck pain, headaches and migraines page. That distinction is very important, because it’s also how UK advertising regulators for chiropractic draw the line.

The Quebec Task Force Classification Table (WAD-0-IV) whiplash and neck pain after injury chart showing whiplash grades as a graphic

A graphic showing the Grades of Whiplash according to The Quebec Taskforce Classification, used by clinicians worldwide

Explore our neck and headache guides

Neck pain, headaches and migraines: the main guide

Neck pain and stiffness

Headaches and migraine

When the neck causes symptoms elsewhere

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Bones and joints

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What Causes whiplash neck pain

The classic cause of whiplash is a rear-end car collision when the head is thrown backward then forward faster than the neck muscles can control. The same mechanism happens with a side impact collision, a fall, a collision during sport such as rugby or a sudden blow to the head or shoulders. The soft tissues of the neck, muscles, ligaments and joint capsules, get stretched or strained beyond their normal range in a fraction of a second.

symptoms of whiplash neck pain

Neck pain and stiffness are the most obvious features, often worse the day after the injury rather than immediately. Reduced range of motion, headache starting at the base of the skull and pain spreading into the shoulders are common. Some people also notice dizziness, jaw pain, fatigue or difficulty concentrating in the days that follow.

This differs from a trapped nerve in the neck, where numbness, tingling or weakness travels down the arm into specific fingers. Whiplash is more often a generalised soft tissue strain, though the two can occasionally overlap in more significant injuries, which is exactly why a thorough assessment matters most.

how chiropractic might help with secondary conditions

Where I can help with the secondary conditions of whiplash is in making sure nothing serious has been missed, giving you trustworthy and evidence based advice on staying mobile and then reassessing you once the acute injury phase has settled. If what remains at that point looks like ordinary mechanical neck pain rather than an unresolved injury, that’s a where chiropractic care has better evidence behind it and we can talk about treatment courses properly at that stage.

The evidence submitted to the Advertising Standards Authority on chiropractic and whiplash specifically was judged not conclusive enough to support claims that chiropractic treatment helps with the injury of whiplash itself and that’s the position I work within.[4] What the wider evidence does support is staying gently active rather than resting completely or wearing a soft collar, along with early reassurance, movement and, where needed, structured exercise, all of which are associated with better recovery than prolonged rest.[3]

If you've had an accident resulting in a whiplash injury and it is getting in the way of things you would rather be doing, come and talk it through. I offer a free 15-minute consultation, you can come in for a short no-obligation chat with no examination or treatment.

Book a free consultation

Or call for a chat on 01202 937568

red flags

Most whiplash is Grade I or II and improves over weeks with sensible self-management. But after any neck injury, certain features mean you need urgent medical assessment rather than a chiropractic appointment. Go to A&E or call 111 for severe pain directly over the spine itself, an inability to turn your head 45 degrees in either direction, numbness, tingling or weakness in your arms or legs, a high-speed or high-impact mechanism of injury, loss of consciousness or if you’re over 65. Emergency doctors use a validated checklist covering exactly these features to decide who needs an X-ray.[2] If any of this applies, or if you’re simply unsure how serious the injury is, get it checked by a doctor first.

Once any injury has been properly assessed and what’s left is ongoing neck stiffness rather than an acute injury, I see patients for exactly that kind of everyday mechanical neck pain.

Booking your first visit to Bournemouth Chiropractic

If you come to me soon after a neck injury, your first visit focuses on a detailed history of how the injury happened and how your symptoms have developed since, plus screening for anything needing urgent medical attention.

If nothing concerning is present and your pain has moved past the acute injury stage into ongoing stiffness and neck pain, I’ll explain what I can and can’t offer and agree a sensible plan with you. Visit my FAQ page for commonly asked questions which can be a source of useful information ahead of booking in.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’d be misleading you if I said yes outright. UK guidance is clear that the evidence isn’t currently strong enough for chiropractors to claim treatment for whiplash itself and nor can other manual hands on therapists such as osteopaths or physiotherapists make similar claims unless they hold robust evidence for those claims. What genuinely helps is staying active and getting properly assessed early. If ongoing stiffness remains once the injury has settled, that’s something I can help with as ordinary mechanical neck pain.

Most people who sustain a whiplash injury improve significantly within a few weeks to a few months. A smaller number go on to have longer-lasting symptoms, particularly with more severe initial injuries. Staying gently active from early on is one of the more consistent factors associated with a quicker recovery.

Current evidence doesn’t support prolonged rest or collar use for most whiplash injuries. Gentle, early movement within your comfort levels is generally associated with better outcomes than immobilisation, though this should follow a proper assessment first, particularly if there’s any question over the severity of the injury.

Whiplash follows a specific injury and usually causes generalised neck pain, stiffness and headache. A trapped nerve causes symptoms travelling into the arm or specific fingers. Mechanical neck pain doesn’t come from an injury at all. The three can look similar early on, which is why assessment matters most.

If you have severe pain directly over your spine, can’t turn your head 45 degrees either way, have numbness, tingling or weakness in your arms or legs, lost consciousness or the injury involved a high-speed or high-impact mechanism, go to A&E or call 111 rather than booking with me.

Whatever is behind your whiplash or neck pain after injury, come and find out

There are a lot of possible causes behind neck pain after an injury and the right first step is nearly always a proper assessment. If this type of pain is getting in the way of your day-to-day life, I'd happily see you to find out whether chiropractic may help and you can book in for a free chat before committing to a course of treatment. During your first full consultation following that I'll take a full medical history, examine you carefully and answer your questions about what is going on.

One important note: straight after a significant accident, fall or collision get checked at A&E to rule out anything serious before considering other care. Once that's been cleared, I'm glad to help with the pain and stiffness that so often linger afterwards.

Whiplash and neck pain after injury are a very common reason people consult with me here in Bournemouth and Poole.

In many of the cases I see, chiropractic care is a very well-tolerated option worth considering for injury such as this and I'll explain clearly whether it's likely to help in your particular case. If I think you'd be better served by your GP, a specialist or another practitioner, I'll say so and help point you in the right direction. Either way, you'll leave knowing more than when you arrived.

There's no pressure and no obligation, just come in, get assessed and let's find you a way forward.

The first step is just a conversation. Call, message or email, whatever's easiest and we'll take it from there.

references

[1] Spitzer WO, Skovron ML, Salmi LR, et al. Scientific monograph of the Quebec Task Force on Whiplash-Associated Disorders: redefining “whiplash” and its management. Spine. 1995;20(8 Suppl):1S-73S. PMID: 7604354

[2] Stiell IG, Wells GA, Vandemheen KL, et al. The Canadian C-Spine Rule for Radiography in Alert and Stable Trauma Patients. JAMA. 2001;286(15):1841-1848. doi: 10.1001/jama.286.15.1841

[3] Wiangkham T, Duda J, Haque S, Madi M, Rushton A. The Effectiveness of Conservative Management for Acute Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD) II: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. PLOS ONE. 2015. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133415

[4] Advertising Standards Authority and Committee of Advertising Practice. Chiropractic: ASA review and guidance for marketing claims (sciatica, whiplash, sports injuries). November 2017. Available at asa.org.uk

Medical Disclaimer: The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it a substitute for diagnosis, treatment, or guidance from a qualified healthcare practitioner. If you have any health concern, please consult your GP or another appropriately qualified clinician. Chiropractic treatment isn’t suitable for everyone. Suitability is assessed at your initial consultation, with referral to another healthcare professional made where appropriate. Treatment outcomes vary between individuals, and no guarantee of results is made or implied.

Practitioner: Leslie Budzynski D.C. | Doctor of Chiropractic | GCC registration: 00043 | BCA membership number: 0072

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