Whiplash

Whiplash is a term that is used to describe a neck injury caused by a sudden movement of the head forwards, backwards or sideways.

The vigorous movement of the head damages the ligaments and tendons in the neck. Tendons are tough, fibrous bands that connect muscles to bone. Ligaments are the fibrous connective tissues that link two bones together at a joint.

Neck sprain

During whiplash, the ligaments in the neck are sprained. A sprain occurs when a ligament is overstretched. Although the ligament is not broken, a strain can often take a long time (sometimes several months) to heal.

Whiplash typically causes pain, stiffness and a loss of movement in the neck. Headaches, muscle spasms and pain in the shoulders or arms are also possible symptoms.

How common is whiplash?

Whiplash is a common injury that often occurs following road accidents, when a collision (usually from behind) jolts the head backwards before it then "whips" forwards.

Motor vehicle accidents do not have to be severe for a person to develop whiplash, with neck pain and associated injuries often developing following low-speed collisions.

Whiplash tends to affect women more than men because their neck muscles are often weaker.

In rare cases, whiplash can also sometimes occur following a violent blow to the head – for example, after a fall or during contact sports such as boxing and rugby.

Outlook

The outlook for whiplash will vary depending on how severely the neck has been sprained.

The recovery time may take a few weeks if the neck ligaments and tendons are only slightly damaged. However, in severe cases, whiplash and whiplash-associated injuries can last for several months or even years.

One study found that the average recovery time for a whiplash injury without any other associated symptoms was 32 days, and that out of 2,627 participants 12% had not recovered six months later (chronic whiplash).

Continue to next section: Symptoms of whiplash