How is whiplash treated, and is there a cure?
Whiplash is treatable, but there’s no way to cure it directly. Instead, the goal of treatment is to allow whiplash to heal as much as possible on its own while supporting that healing process and minimizing symptoms. Some people may also need care for chronic issues that happen because of whiplash.
What medications or treatments are used?
Some treatments for whiplash are most helpful right after an injury, while others are best if used to treat the long-term effects and chronic problems from a whiplash injury. Some can do both. The most common treatments for whiplash (with more about them below) include:
- Immobilization.
- Medications.
- Cold application for the first seven to 10 days. Heat application is recommended after that.
- Exercise/physical therapy.
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy.
- Radiofrequency nerve ablation.
- Spine surgery.
Immobilization
Because whiplash can affect your spine and spinal cord, it’s common for people with possible neck and spine injuries to receive some forms of protective care immediately. An example is a cervical collar (C-collar), which emergency medical personnel can put on a person’s neck at the scene of a car crash.
A C-collar has a rigid frame that holds your head and neck in alignment, so your vertebrae don’t press on or damage your spinal cord. That also helps keep your neck muscles from bearing the weight of your head, which might be very painful if your neck muscles are injured.
There are also other forms of immobilization. Your healthcare provider is the best person to tell you about the available forms and which form they recommend.
Medications
Medications are a major part of whiplash treatment, helping address many of the symptoms. Because there are many symptoms, many different types of medication can help. The most common kinds of medications providers prescribe to treat whiplash include:
- Painkillers. These range from over-the-counter drugs like acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen, etc. Stronger painkillers, such as opioids, are also possible for moderate to severe pain. However, healthcare providers prescribe these very cautiously because of the risk of long-term dependence or addiction to these drugs.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs. These medications reduce swelling from inflamed tissue. Swelling from whiplash can lead to other symptoms if it presses on nerves and keeps signals from going to or coming from your brain.
- Muscle relaxers. Sprained muscles can often spasm uncontrollably, causing severe pain and preventing healing from an injury. Muscle relaxers cause muscles to relax, preventing spasms and giving those muscles a chance to heal.
- Nerve blocks. Blocking nerve signals can offer relief to people dealing with severe or chronic pain from whiplash.
Many other kinds of medications are also possible. Your healthcare provider is the best person to tell you about the available medication options they recommend.
Applying cold and heat
Experts recommend using cold packs during the first seven to 10 days to decrease swelling and inflammation. After that, gentle warmth and heating can help improve blood flow to an injured area, which helps promote the healing of damaged tissues.
Exercise or physical therapy
Recovering from whiplash can often involve physical therapy. This form of treatment uses guided exercises to strengthen injured areas after they heal. That can help you regain more function in the affected area and can also help ease related symptoms like pain.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS for short, is a therapy that delivers a mild electrical current through your skin to surface nerve endings. Your nerves use electrical signals to communicate, so using an outside electrical current at low levels can help with pain in those areas. Using a TENS unit to ease the pain is much like using white noise to help you block out other sounds while you sleep.
Radiofrequency (RF) nerve ablation
One way to treat chronic pain is to stop the nerves in the affected area from sending pain signals. This is especially helpful when an injury leads to nerve damage, making the affected nerves send pain signals more than they should. This treatment uses RF energy to heat the targeted nerves and intentionally damage them, so they stop sending pain signals. This can reduce pain for weeks or months.
Spine surgery
In rare cases, an injury from whiplash — especially torn ligaments or fractured vertebrae — need surgery. Spine surgery can stabilize the affected areas of your spine, preventing further nerve damage and pain.
Complications/side effects of the treatment
The possible complications and side effects of whiplash treatments vary widely. Your healthcare provider is the best person to tell you about the complications and side effects that you can expect.
How can I take care of myself and manage symptoms of whiplash?
When whiplash is minor, especially in Grade 1 or Grade 2, it’s usually something you can manage on your own. Cold followed by heat, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory or pain medications, and rest are often enough to help you recover. But it’s best to see a healthcare provider if the pain is moderate or doesn’t get better with at-home remedies. Pain that doesn’t get better is a sign of a more serious injury.
You shouldn’t try to take care of whiplash injuries on your own if the event that caused your whiplash also involved you passing out or losing consciousness. You also shouldn’t try to manage it on your own if you show any signs of nerve-related problems.
Passing out, dizziness and vertigo, headaches, tingling, numbness, weakness or trouble swallowing or speaking are all signs that you need to see a healthcare provider as soon as you can, as these are also signs of a concussion or traumatic brain injury, both of which can be dangerous.
How soon after treatment will I feel better?
The time it takes to recover from whiplash depends on the treatments themselves, as well as factors like the cause of your whiplash, personal circ*mstances, health history and more. Your healthcare provider can tell you more about the likely timeline for you to feel better and recover.
