Orthopedics-Online

Duration of whiplash

introduction

The duration of a whiplash depends largely on the severity of the accident. The first symptoms usually appear 0-72 hours after the event and last for different lengths of time.

Quebec classification

Whiplash is divided into different degrees.

Different forces act on the body depending on the mechanism of the accident, which also results in recovery times of different lengths. Of the Severity of a Whiplash is in the Quebec classification assigned:

Grade 0 – no complaints, no symptoms
Grade 1 – Neck pain, Stiffness of the neck. These symptoms can last for days to weeks
Grade 2 – Muscle tension with restricted mobility - Depending on therapy and spread, it can take several weeks for these symptoms to go away
Grade 3 - complaints with neurological symptoms. This indicates a particularly heavy application of force involving the central nervous system down. It is due to impairment or damage to nerve tracts in brain and or Spinal cord to think that may continue for years
Grade 4 – Whiplash With Vertebral fracture or Dislocations (Shifts).

True, fractures usually heal within 6 weeks off, however, is to stabilize the broken Vertebral bodies often one invasive surgery necessary, which can also injure the supporting muscles. It is not for nothing that grade 4 is the last and most difficult level of the Whiplash. In most cases, a corresponding follow-up treatment is also possible Rehab or physical therapy necessary.

Duration of healing

The time it takes to heal a whiplash injury depends on its severity. Whiplash symptoms usually resolve within the first four weeks.
However, the whiplash can also develop chronically. The patient's psyche plays a decisive role in this. In this case, the whiplash can last for several months and may require contact with a psychologist. This type of chronic whiplash occurs in around one in ten people. Older women show a particularly high risk of chronic whiplash trauma.

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The spine is difficult to treat. On the one hand it is exposed to high mechanical loads, on the other hand it has great mobility.

The treatment of the spine (e.g. herniated disc, facet syndrome, foramen stenosis, etc.) therefore requires a lot of experience.
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The aim of any treatment is treatment without surgery.

Which therapy achieves the best results in the long term can only be determined after looking at all of the information (Examination, X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, etc.) be assessed.

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therapy

The ruff has neither advantages nor disadvantages. Its main purpose is to prevent excessive movement.

After having prescribed a ruff to immobilize the neck in the past, it has now been abandoned and more early resumption of mobility in the foreground. The inevitable pain will be with Painkillers fights. These have the disadvantage that they have the Gastric mucosa attack and therefore in combination with a stomach protector must be taken, but resuming movement early will accelerate the healing rate significantly.

A Ruff is usually only within the first few days after Whiplash used, but it has neither big advantage nor disadvantage. Your main role is to serve the patient in his Restrict movement, around avoid jerky movements. The affected area is still extremely unstable, especially shortly after the operation.

With the aim of shortening the healing time after a whiplash, is also often physical therapy prescribed. Even if this has a proven benefit for other muscular problems, this arises therapy after whiplash complicated represents: The time until symptoms were free could not be significantly shortened in a large study with almost 4000 patients compared to the control group, although small improvements could be achieved.

The Head and neck region is a comparatively anatomically and muscularly complicated structured and vulnerable region - in combination with the high force exerted by a whiplash, so one poor condition for quick healing. It represents for Physiotherapists, Physicians and patients represent a difficult and sometimes tedious task that cannot always be solved to complete satisfaction.

Duration of therapy

The duration of the therapy depends on how quickly the symptoms can be resolved by the treatment. This is usually the case within the first four weeks, but if it becomes chronic, the duration of the therapy can be continued for several months.

Duration of the headache

Headaches are a perfectly natural accompanying symptom of whiplash. They are usually the first symptom and can be enormous. The headaches usually subside within the first few days, but can last for several months in the case of chronic whiplash. The headache is caused by the tension in the muscles in the neck and throat area. When these symptoms have completely subsided, the headache will also go away.

Length of sick leave

Whiplash injuries result in the cervical spine. This is usually caused by a rear-end collision, resulting in headache, neck pain and muscle pain. As a rule, however, the whiplash is harmless and subsides within four weeks.
However, the severity of the trauma is independent of the severity of the car accident. Even a slight impact can cause severe whiplash injuries. As the symptoms often appear late, a doctor should be consulted under all circumstances. Depending on the severity of the whiplash, the doctor can issue a sick note, which is usually between two days and three weeks. Longer than three weeks is not recommended, as this will favor chronic whiplash.
The psyche plays a decisive role in chronic whiplash trauma. The memories and pain make the patient relive the accident. To prevent this, the accident participant should be reintegrated into their everyday life as quickly as possible.

Summary

A generalized statement of how much time after one Whiplash must pass in order to be symptom-free again, can therefore not be met. It depends on too many different factors, some of which cannot be influenced. In a variety of cases, the Complaints for more than half a year after Whiplash on, in other cases they are Disappeared after two weeks. In order not to let things get that far in the first place, drivers can achieve a great effect in just a few simple steps: The correct adjustment of the headrest drastically reduces the risk of a whiplash - various awareness campaigns therefore target this topic.

Usually, however, will be almost 100% of all those affected symptom-free again within a year. (87% after half a year). However, there are very different results, depending on the study design and Survey method.

Often one comes too psychosomatic Component added, i.e. the complaints can therefore persist without a physical cause. In rare cases chronified the impairment and causes permanent pain up to incapacity for work.