Help for whiplash injuries

The standard treatment used to be to give the neck support and prevent movement to allow the muscles to rest and recover.

This is usually a collar of some kind; usually a soft collar for a short period and gentle movement of the neck after 24 hours.

Immediate action should be to:

Apply an ice pack to reduce swelling

Take some form of pain relief using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin or ibuprofen)

Initial rest should soon give way to a gentle increase in movement, but take it easy and consult with either your GP or a qualified physical trainer experienced in sports injuries (you can get whiplash in some sports too)

You may find that massage, traction, ultrasound and physiotherapy will help. A physiotherapist, osteopath or chiropractor can advise you.

You’ll find more information on whiplash injury on these sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiplash_%28medicine%29

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Whiplash-Neck-Sprains.htm

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/whiplash/article_em.htm

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Whiplash/Pages/Introduction.aspx