Acute whiplash

Our physiotherapy team can facilitate your recovery and rehabilitation to maximise your chances of a successful return to sport, hobbies and work.

There are 300 000 new cases of whiplash every year in the UK. The majority of people who experience symptoms after a car accident will be pain free within 3 months. Only a very small proportion of people feel pain for a longer period of time.

The most common symptoms experienced are neck pain, followed by headache and shoulder and arm pain. Serious physical injury is very rare.

The Royal College of Radiologists does not recommend X-Ray unless neurological deficits are present and neck collars are no longer used routinely as ithas been shown that their over use can delay recovery.

Management of Acute Whiplash

In the acute stage- the first 48 hours- there are a few simple things you can do to make yourself feel more comfortable.

Rest and painkillers will help you manage your pain but you need to aim to return to your normal activities as soon as possible. It has been shown that if you can get gently active within 4 days of the accident you will have a better outcome at 6 months than those who take to their bed.

Initially regular use of paracetamol should be trialled, unless you know your system does not tolerate this drug. In this case, or if this proves inadequate, discuss the situation with your pharmacist or GP.

Try using a cold pack to assist in pain relief. After 48 hours you can also try heat and then use whichever you find most effective.

Holding a positive attitude and belief will speed up the healing process and help you build back to your usual activity levels. Remember that the majority of people will be pain free within 3 months.

Physiotherapy treatment of whiplash

There are a number of physiotherapy treatments that can be used to help with your pain relief and return you to full movement and function. These include manual therapy and soft tissue massage, interferential therapy, acupuncture, ultrasound therapy, exercise and rehabilitation.