Whiplash is caused by a sudden over-extension injury of the neck resulting, usually, from being struck from behind. Typically, the body is pushed forward, but the head remains behind for a brief moment and then rocks forward and back to stay aligned with the body. This results in a stretching or tearing of the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the neck.
We generally associate whiplash injuries with being rear-ended in an accident. Although this is the most common cause, the impact can come from any direction and the head may move violently sideways or backward.
Besides car accidents, whiplash can occur in contact sports, from falls and as a result of physical abuse, such as in shaken-baby syndrome. Women appear more susceptible than men, as typically women's neck muscles are not as strong.
Whiplash symptoms range from mild to severe and most often don't develop until 12 to 24 hours after the injury. It often begins with neck pain and stiffness and a loss of range of motion in the neck. These may be accompanied by headaches, dizzi-ness, blurred vision, fatigue, sleep disturbances and muscle spasms.
Experts at the Mayo Clinic recommend calling your doctor immediately if the pain spreads to your shoulders or arms, it is painful to move your head, or you feel numbness, tingling and weakness in the arms or hands.
