Many people might be aware that a soft tissue injury to the neck, commonly known as whiplash, can be a side-effect of being involved in a road traffic accident. However what you might not know is that whiplash can also occur in a wide variety of accidents; in fact almost any circumstances where there is a sudden involuntary movement of the head, back or neck could cause you to suffer a whiplash injury.
Whiplash is in fact a result of the tearing and stretching of the soft tissue in the neck, such as tendons, ligaments and muscles. It can also involve some damage to the nerves in the neck, and can be known as a cervical sprain or a hyperextension injury. The cause of the damage is any sudden movement where the head and body move independently of each other.
As an example, in a car accident where the impact is from behind, your body will start to move slightly before your head, then your head will tilt downwards towards the steering wheel and your neck will extend forwards. As you begin to apply the car’s brakes and suddenly stop moving forwards, you will be thrown backwards; this movement extends your neck backwards in the opposite direction until it hits the headrest.
But it is not just in car accidents that you can encounter this “jerking” movement of the head and neck. Contact sports such as rugby and boxing and activities such as horse riding all have the potential for this sort of injury to occur, whether it be as a result of being punched in the boxing ring, suffering a nasty tackle or scrum in rugby or landing awkwardly whilst on your horse.
In all whiplash injuries, if you are in any discomfort you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Soft tissue injuries can take several days to appear after an accident, so even if you might not initially be in any pain, it is a wise move to get yourself checked out by a doctor who will be able to advise you on the best way to prevent an injury becoming painful.
At the time of your injury, the standard treatment for any soft tissue injury is to apply a cold object such as an ice pack to the area, as this will help to reduce swelling. You should also avoid aggravating your injury by making sudden movements in the first 24 hours after your accident. For information on a wide variety of sports injuries and motoring accidents where a compensation claim might be made, call Camps Solicitors on 0800 092 8586.
Whiplash – it doesn’t just come from being in a car accident
Many people might be aware that a soft tissue injury to the neck, commonly known as whiplash, can be a side-effect of being involved in a road traffic accident. However what you might not know is that whiplash can also occur in a wide variety of accidents; in fact almost any circumstances where there is a sudden involuntary movement of the head, back or neck could cause you to suffer a whiplash injury.
Whiplash is in fact a result of the tearing and stretching of the soft tissue in the neck, such as tendons, ligaments and muscles. It can also involve some damage to the nerves in the neck, and can be known as a cervical sprain or a hyperextension injury. The cause of the damage is any sudden movement where the head and body move independently of each other.
As an example, in a car accident where the impact is from behind, your body will start to move slightly before your head, then your head will tilt downwards towards the steering wheel and your neck will extend forwards. As you begin to apply the car’s brakes and suddenly stop moving forwards, you will be thrown backwards; this movement extends your neck backwards in the opposite direction until it hits the headrest.
But it is not just in car accidents that you can encounter this “jerking” movement of the head and neck. Contact sports such as rugby and boxing and activities such as horse riding all have the potential for this sort of injury to occur, whether it be as a result of being punched in the boxing ring, suffering a nasty tackle or scrum in rugby or landing awkwardly whilst on your horse.
In all whiplash injuries, if you are in any discomfort you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Soft tissue injuries can take several days to appear after an accident, so even if you might not initially be in any pain, it is a wise move to get yourself checked out by a doctor who will be able to advise you on the best way to prevent an injury becoming painful.
At the time of your injury, the standard treatment for any soft tissue injury is to apply a cold object such as an ice pack to the area, as this will help to reduce swelling. You should also avoid aggravating your injury by making sudden movements in the first 24 hours after your accident.
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