Whiplash
What is Whiplash?
Whiplash is a non-medical term used to describe neck pain following an injury to the soft tissues of your neck (specifically ligaments, tendons, and muscles). It is caused by an abnormal motion or force applied to your neck that causes movement beyond the neck’s normal range of motion. Whiplash happens in motor vehicle accidents such as car crashes, auto accidents, and truck accidents, as well as during sporting activities, accidental falls, and assault.
What causes Whiplash?
The most frequent cause of whiplash is car accidents. Surprisingly, the speed of the vehicles involved or the amount of visible damage to the car doesn’t always correspond to the severity of the neck injury. Even speeds as low as 15 miles per hour can generate enough force to cause whiplash, regardless of whether occupants are wearing seat belts.
Other common causes of whiplash include contact sport injuries and blows to the head from a falling object or being assaulted. Additionally, repetitive stress injuries or chronic strain involving the neck—such as holding a phone between your ear and shoulder—are a common, non-acute causes.