Non Fault Whiplash Injuries

Whiplash injuries generally occur on the cervical vertebrae or the neck and are also commonly known as the Acute Soft Tissue Neck Sprain. When these whiplash injuries take place, the tendons, muscles and ligaments, which are the soft tissues of the body, become stretched of their normal and natural torn and motion range.

The ligaments and muscles of neck contract so as to prevent the excessive motion thereby protecting the patient from any further severe injury like a spinal cord or a neck fracture. Although a whiplash injury may not appear instantly, most of the symptoms will actually start arising within 2 to 3 days after the accident. Pain basically starts taking place in the following days in terms of bruising or inflammation to the neck tissues area and can take some time to fully develop.

Recovery from whiplash injuries can be aided with the use of prescriptive medication, mobility exercises and cold compress. It has been noted that most of these injuries are not too severe and causes a short-term discomfort to the patient. But the injuries faced on cervical disk and facet joints can prove to be a bit serious.

• The non fault whiplash injuries are usually caused due to the impulsive movement of a person’s neck or head resulting into a sudden jerk and rebounding. The two major types of whiplash injuries are the Infant Whiplash Shake Injury Syndrome and the Chronic Whiplash Syndrome.
• Infant Whiplash-Shake Injury Syndrome- This refers to the trauma that is faced by children due to some deliberate abuse, commonly called as the Shaken-Baby Syndrome. There are times when infant may face neurological seizures, haemorrhages, contusions and impairments on the cervical cord, contributing to fatality.
• Chronic Whiplash Syndrome- This syndrome occurs due to the presence of pain, arms tingling, fatigue, headaches, sleep difficulties, reduced libido or limited movement for more than half a year after suffering from the whiplash injury. It is hard to cure the syndrome and can even provide permanent discomfort to the sufferer.

The different medical treatments that the sufferers of non fault whiplash injuries adopt include:

• Pain killers: In case of anti-inflammatory are not suitable to the patients.
• Muscle relaxant: muscle relaxants like diazepam can make the muscles tense thereby making the pain a bit tolerable.
• Warm compresses- Warm towels or heat packs can be applied on the neck for reducing discomfort levels.
• Cold compresses: Ice packs can be used immediately after facing the injury to avoid swelling.