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What is Whiplash

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The term whiplash is used to describe injuries that occur in muscles and ligaments in the neck. It may not be a medical term but is usually used in relation to neck injuries. Normally, whiplash happens during a rear end vehicle collision. It may also occur due to a sports injury and other accidents that result in neck injury.
When a vehicle hits another from behind, the force from the vehicle in the rear is transmitted to the struck vehicle in front. The force is also transmitted to the passengers of the struck vehicle and may leave them with a whiplash injury.
Whiplash is also referred to as neck sprain or cervical sprain. It is a result of the neck being whipped back out of its range of motion. The upper and lower parts of the spine may also be moved beyond their normal range of motion. The injury normally occurs on muscles and ligaments and may not be evident before twelve hours elapse. When you have a whiplash injury you will most likely experience a stiff neck, neck pains, limitation in mobility, back and shoulder pains, and headache. However, after a car accident one should not confuse the signs of a head injury with whiplash.
Whiplash injuries have not been completely understood until recent times. Recent research has shown why some occupants in a car struck from behind may experience more severe whiplash injuries than those in other types of car accidents. Using crash test dummies and computerized analysis in live crash tests has shown how the neck is affected during a whiplash impact. Information gathered from whiplash accidents is now being used in the treatment of whiplash injuries.
In many whiplash injuries recovery period may take between two to three months. A person suffering from a whiplash injury may also continue to experience neck pains long after the accident should the injury be left unchecked.

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