The muscles in the neck serve a very important function for the human body. They help hold the head up so it is balanced on top of the body and they offer some support and protection for the spine which allows the brain to communicate with the rest of the body. In a sense, the large muscle group stretching from the top of the chest to the back of the skull can be considered the spine and neck’s bodyguard. It is there to hold everything together and give this area of the body its strength.
Obviously, this is one of the most important muscle groups in the entire body but when it is injured it becomes the biggest pain in the neck you have ever experienced!
Muscle injury from whiplash is the cause of the pain and tightness in the neck many people experience after being in a car accident. When hit from behind, the force of the accident forces the body to move forward while the neck snaps backward. The sudden backward movement stretches the neck muscles, resulting in strain and possible tears.
Severity of muscle injury
In many cases, muscle injury from whiplash only lasts a short time. If minor strain is placed on the muscle, the pain and other symptoms of whiplash may subside within a month, but in more severe cases of whiplash the symptoms can be felt for many months or possibly years.
Muscle injury complications
When chronic whiplash sets in and the pain lingers for longer periods of time, there are usually complications that produce ongoing symptoms. Sometimes it is just pain that needs to be dealt with, but in other cases there may be ongoing limited range of motion in the neck or stiffness that prevents the sufferer from fully participating and enjoying their daily life. This is when muscle injury from whiplash starts to become more than a simple pain in the neck.
In many cases, the complications include scar tissue which develops in the muscle as a result of the whiplash trauma. One possible condition that can develop as a result of muscle injury from whiplash is thoracic outlet syndrome. This condition refers to the compression of nerves and/or blood vessels traveling between the armpit and the neck.
When this condition is caused by whiplash, the compression occurs from the forceful movement of the neck muscles. Pain can be felt not only in the neck, but also in the shoulder and arm. Sufferers may also feel numb or tingly in the arm. The symptoms may be constant or they can come and go, especially when extending or lifting the arm. There are severe cases of this whiplash complication, but many people experience minor discomfort due to the compression.
Another complication of muscle injury from whiplash is pain in the shoulders. When the muscles in the neck stretch and strain, they also cause stretching and straining in the other muscles that they are connected to, which includes muscles going into the shoulders.
Diagnosing muscle injury from whiplash
Pain in the neck region after an accident is often related to the stretching of the neck muscles, but there are other problems that can arise from whiplash. There may be injury to the spine or the ligaments running along the spine, for instance. In many cases extreme pain and limited range of motion in the neck is caused by a combination of these things due to whiplash.
This is why it is so important for all accident sufferers to see a physical therapist experienced in accident whiplash trauma. They will know all the right medical tests to go through in order to get a diagnosis of all problems being experienced. Even more important, they will be able to predict some of the potential problems that could develop in the future as a result of muscle injury from whiplash or other types of whiplash related injuries.
This article is considered general information only; please consult a medical professional concerning your specific condition.
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