Whiplash Symptoms

Whiplash Symptoms to Look for After a Car Accident

Whiplash symptoms can include aches and pain in the neck and/or back, plus referred pain to the shoulders, arms, and hips. Sensory disturbances may include pins and needles in the extremities. You may even experience mild low-grade headaches or even more severe migraines.

How to Observe Symptoms

The symptoms of whiplash can begin immediately after the injury but frequently do not show up until several days afterward. Whiplash is typically focused in the spine. The areas of the spine that exhibit whiplash are the neck and the middle of the spine between the shoulder blades.

Successful whiplash treatment requires addressing all the areas affected which can extend further down the spine even in relatively minor accidents. In traditional medicine, the neck area is typically treated after a whiplash injury but the area between the shoulder blades and the rest of the spine is typically not treated. This may explain why neck therapy typically prescribed by medical doctors alone often does not give long-lasting relief.

Cognitive symptoms can also follow the trauma caused by whiplash. These symptoms can include anxiety, a general uneasy feeling, being easily distracted, and irritability. These are common symptoms and may be linked to a poorer prognosis if not treated.

Symptoms of Whiplash

  • Headaches ranging from low-grade to migraines
  • Concussion/Brain injury
  • Internal bleeding
  • Pain or numbness in the neck, mid-back, hip, low-back, shoulder, arms, and/or hands
  • Aching anywhere in the body
  • Pins and needles in the hands or feet
  • Dizziness
  • Trouble concentrating or remembering
  • Irritability, sleep disturbances, tiredness

Long-Term Complications

  • Ongoing pain
  • Headaches/migraines
  • Pain that radiates to the arms and/or legs
  • Numbness
  • Tingling
  • Bulging/herniated discs
  • Periods of confusion
  • Increased ongoing stress
  • Neuropathy
  • Arthritis

Have questions or want to see if you can benefit from chiropractic care? Call 512-892-2160 or email us here Dr. Stakes has over 40 years of experience and uses the most modern, effective, and gentle healing chiropractic technologies and therapies.