‘Whiplash’ is defined as “an acceleration-deceleration mechanism of energy transfer to the neck”. It may result from motor vehicle collisions, but can also occur during diving and other mishaps.
The most common symptom after a whiplash injury is neck pain or stiffness. This can occur immediately after the injury or even after a few days. Other symptoms may include: headaches, pain in the shoulders and arms, dizziness, altered sensation such as pins and needles or numbness, weakness, visual and auditory symptoms and concentration difficulties.
Symptoms may appear immediately after the incident or have a delayed onset of a few hours or days. The nature of injury and the number and severity of symptoms vary between different people. Most people make a full recovery from such injuries, although the rate of improvement will vary. For these reasons it is important that appropriate injury management is implemented.
When treating our whiplash patients, Chevron Island Physio seeks to adhere to the Queensland Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC) Guidelines for Compulsory Third Party (CTP) Rehabilitation Providers (2012), and looks to follow published guidelines for management of whiplash-associated disorders (MAA, 2014; TRACsa, 2008) to assist in clinical decision making.
For a comprehensive physiotherapy assessment following a motor vehicle, or other accident please contact us for appointment on 07 55047000.
