Whiplash Compensation

Before explaining about whiplash compensation claims, it’s important to have an understanding of what whiplash actually is.

What Causes Whiplash?
The typical example of whiplash occurs, when the neck suddenly becomes affected by an accelerating force, like if you get hit by a car from behind. The neck is then thrown back first, then forward. Primarily the upper part of the neck is overloaded.

If you drive into something, the neck is first thrown forward, then back – the exact opposite situation. Here it is the lower part of the neck, which is most affected. Lateral side collision may also cause problems. Generally, the neck becomes more affected, if you head is turned when the accident happens.

When Does Whiplash Occur?
Besides the classic example of a car crash, a whiplash injury may occur by any physical effect on the body, causing the head to make a sudden uncontrolled movement. This applies, for example many sports injuries.

Since the head is placed on top of the spine, the back may act as a lever. This means that a force which affects the lower back, will be enhanced 2-3 times before it hits your neck.

Other times it is the neck itself that is affected by the force that triggers the problem. This can happen in sports where several persons clash together, or by scuba diving.

What Happens In A Whiplash?
The sudden movement leads to overloading of muscles, tendons and joints. Normally you can compare this with a sprain of a muscle. As with other strains, it leads to a swelling in the damaged tissue, stiffness and pain. In rare cases the damage can be so extensive that it leads to paralysis and disability.

Besides the physical excessive load, there may also be other factors that affect how the injury develops. However, we do not know with certainty how much influence psychological, social and cultural factors have.

How Bad Can A Whiplash Be?
For a number of years, whiplash injuries have been divided in grade 0 to 4.

• Grade 0: No complaints about the neck and no physical signs of excessive load.
• Grade 1: Only complains about pain, stiffness or soreness in the neck. No physical signs of excessive load.
• Grade 2: Neck pain complaints and the signs in the muscles and joints, as tenderness at pressure and impaired movement
• Grade 3: Neck pain complaints and neurological signs as missing or weak reflexes, decreased force or feeling
• Grade 4: Neck pain complaints and fracture or displacement of joints.

How Is Whiplash Diagnosed?
The patient’s description of how the injury occurred and how the symptoms have developed is of vital importance. Additionally, a person who has the necessary training and experience, can with fingers evaluate how the muscle condition is and how the neck part moves. The neck will possibly be X-rayed in Grade 1 and always in Grade 2 and 3. Grade 4 injuries shall continue to neurosurgeon or orthopedic surgeon.

What Does A Whiplash Feel Like?
The most common complaint after a whiplash injury is pain in the neck, often stretching up in the cranium and into the shoulder / shoulder blade. If there are discomfort in the arm, the situation must be taken more seriously – especially if the symptoms are worse here than in the neck.

2 out of 3 injuries lead to forehead headaches. It may occur either periodically or as a more persistent pressure.

Symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, depression, irritability and insomnia are also sometimes seen, and there may be shortness of breath and nausea, possibly with vomiting.

How Is Whiplash Treated?
In the rare case where a breach of the neck or severe damage of ligaments, hospitalization is required.

Formerly, the traditional treatment was as little activity as possible and wearing a soft collar during the first weeks. Today we know, that it is very important to get started using your neck normally, as soon as possible.

A whiplash injury bursts fibers in ligaments and joint capsules in the neck. It may cause some joints in the neck area to be hyper-mobile. There will in most cases, however, also be one or more joints in the neck that moves too little. Freed, the combined movement is divided in such a way, that the damage can heal faster. In most cases there will also be sore muscles.

There are chiropractic treatment techniques that, in a very gentle way, can make both joints and muscles to function more normally.

Evidence suggests that dynamic neck training in fitness machines could have a significantly greater efficacy than training done without machinery.

It is important to note, that before starting any treatment, you should see a lawyer to help you with whiplash compensation claims.

What Can You Do About Whiplash?
Ice will help with tight muscles, relieve pain and reduce swelling. In principle you can use anything that, after being cooled, can have an appropriate shape, such as frozen vegetables or brown soap. The cool bags made for the purpose, has the advantage that they are best to follow the necks shape and thus get the best contact with skin.

Use ice 15 to 20 minutes at a time and always with 2-3 layers of clothing (e.g. a towel) between skin and ice. Keep a couple of hours’ break between each time and be especially diligent in the first days. As long as you’re sore, you can benefit from the ice.

Small children, debilitated elderly, and persons with heart problems should not use ice.

It’s good to get started with exercises, as soon as possible. It should not hurt! Here is a way to start at the most can benefit from:

Exercises with eyes:
If it is very painful, you can start the exercises with just making eye movements:

1: Look to the right in 10 seconds, without moving the neck
2: Look left for 10 seconds without moving the neck
3: Look up in 10 seconds, without moving the neck
4: Look down in 10 seconds, without moving the neck

Breathe in slowly while the eyes are in the described position.
Eye movements has a relaxing effect on the neck muscles.

Isometric exercises:
When things are a little better, you can add to the eye movements with isometric exercises- i.e. using muscles without moving. Breathe in slowly while you contract the muscles.
1: Look to the right and press your head slightly against the right hand on the right temple, without moving your head. Hold the pressure for 10 seconds. It should not hurt.
2: Look to the left and push your head slightly to the left hand on the left temple, without moving your head. Hold pressure for 10 seconds. It should not hurt.
3: Look down, push the head lightly against your clasped hands on your forehead, as if you were to bend your head forward. The head should not move. Hold pressure for 10 seconds. It should not hurt.
4: Look up, push the head lightly against your clasped hands on the cranium as if you were to bend the head backwards. The head should not move. Hold pressure for 10 seconds. It should not hurt.
5: Look straight ahead. Press your head slightly toward your right hand on the right side of the head as if you were to move the right ear towards right shoulder. The head should not move. Hold pressure for 10 seconds. It should not hurt.
6: Look straight ahead. Press the head slightly towards your left hand on left side of your head, as if you should move left ear to left shoulder. The head should not move. Hold pressure for 10 seconds. It should not hurt.

Exercises with neck movements:
When it can be done without it hurts, you can:
1: Look to the right and turn upside down quietly in the same direction. Stop before it hurts.
2: Look to the left and turn upside down quietly in the same direction. Stop before it hurts.
3: Look down and quietly bow your head in the same direction. Stop before it hurts.
4: Look up and bend your head quiet the same way. Stop before it hurts. Older people must pay particular attention on this exercise or avoid it entirely, for example if you get dizzy.
5: Look straight ahead and bend your neck to the side, so the right ear moving down towards the right shoulder.
6: Look straight ahead and bend your neck to the side, then left ear moves toward your left shoulder.

Breathe in slowly while you make the described motion.

It will always be an advantage to doing exercises on a tilt board.
How Can You Prevent Whiplash?

When it comes to driving, it is important to keep distance, and to ensure that the head restraint is so close to the cranium as possible (it should really be called a main support). More and more brands are doing headrests, which partly follows the necks movements in an accident, and thus reduces the load neck exposed. If  you see a car coming from behind and you cannot avoid being hit, you should press your head backward against the head restraint. Remember that the child seat must be secured properly and the straps must be tightened very well.

Latest Research
A brand new English study, led by an orthopedic surgeon, shows that for the whiplash patients with chronic pain in neck / shoulder area and reduced movement in the neck, chiropractic treatment was the only proven effective treatment. This was true even if there were neurological signs as impaired reflexes, sensory disturbances or reduced performance.

In patients with a bad neck pain, but full of movement in the neck and no neurological signs, there was however no effect of chiropractic treatment.

If you have been involved in a car accident where you suffered a whiplash compensation claim type injury through no fault of your own