Whiplash is commonly associated with rear-end automobile accidents, but it can also result from sports or other trauma. The sudden, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck during whiplash causes injury to the ligaments, muscles, tendons, intervertebral joints, discs, and nerves of the neck and upper back. The neck is particularly vulnerable to whiplash injury because of its ability to move in many directions. Research shows that when the head is rotated, like when the driver is looking in the rearview mirror, there is a significant increase in the amount of force placed on the neck during impact. Simply having your head turned to the side can predispose you to more ligament injuries and subsequent symptoms.
Common symptoms of whiplash-associated disorder include neck pain and crepitation, stiffness, headache, dizziness, vertigo, fatigue, irritability, tinnitus, nausea/vomiting, cognitive impairment, anxiety, lightheadedness, and memory problems. These may not all begin immediately after the trauma. Some symptoms of post-whiplash may improve within a few weeks using the traditional approach of pain medication and physical therapy. However, many people who suffer from chronic neck pain as well as other complications can begin a vicious cycle of increased medications to try and control worsening symptoms but lacking any real answers to resolve the issue. This can carry on for months or years after the initial accident, and is indicative of undiagnosed ligament damage and spinal instability that was not initially seen after the accident.
In our experience, Digital Motion X-ray (DMX) is the ideal post-whiplash diagnostic tool because it shows the spine from various angles while in motion, unlike static MRI. DMX can identify spinal instability and curvature abnormalities caused by ligament laxity/injury. If identified, the ligament damage causing the neck pain and associated symptoms can then be resolved with Prolotherapy, a regenerative injection treatment for post-traumatic ligament injuries.
