How Long Does It Take for Whiplash to Heal?

Every year in the United States, an estimated three million people sustain a whiplash injury — or acute neck strain that occurs when a rapid inertia change forcefully propels your head back and forth. While most cases happen in rear-impact car collisions, whiplash can also occur on the sports field, in an accidental fall, or even on a rollercoaster.

At Interventional Sports and Pain Management Associates in Humble and Baytown, Texas, board-certified pain management expert Dr. Okezie N. Okezie provides prompt evaluation and care for Houston-area residents who’ve experienced acute whiplash trauma.

Read on as we discuss the ins and outs of this common neck injury, including the various factors that can affect the time it takes to heal.

Understanding whiplash trauma 

Whiplash is one of the most common injuries sustained in car crashes — particularly in front- or rear-end collisions — as well as one of the most frequent neck injuries sustained during contact sports play or in a sudden slip-and-fall accident.  

It occurs when your head is forcefully thrown back and forth, prompting the rapid and uncontrollable “whip-like” movement of your neck and cervical spine. 

This unexpected and forceful change of inertia can strain or damage any of the tissues in your neck, from the bones, discs, and nerves that make up your cervical spine, to the various soft tissues — including ligaments, tendons, and muscles — that support them.    

Symptom emergence 

A whiplash injury can have various effects on your neck and head, depending on how the injury occurs as well as the severity of the neck-jerking motion. In most whiplash cases, it’s common for a few symptoms to appear soon after the traumatic event — and for more to emerge 12-24 hours later. 

Whiplash injury severity

Typically, whiplash symptoms directly correlate to the severity of the trauma — or basically, the degree to which your neck was hyperextended or compressed during the event. In most cases, the greater the extension or compression, the greater the injury.

Mild to moderate whiplash (either a grade-one or grade-two injury) is associated with:

• Ongoing neck pain and stiffness 
• Neck stiffness with movement
• Injury tenderness or sensitivity 
• Decreased range of head motion
• Aggravating neck muscle spasms

Mild to moderate whiplash injuries can also cause neck pain that radiates into your face, head, or upper back. A severe, grade-three or grade-four whiplash injury causes more intense neck pain and stiffness, along with neurological symptoms in the neck, head, shoulders, upper back, and/or arms, such as: 

• Headaches 
• Dizziness
• Muscle weakness 
• Numbness 
• Burning or tingling
• Vision problems

Whiplash causes neurological symptoms when inflammation disrupts the nerve signal pathways going to or from your brain through your neck. 

Factors that affect whiplash healing

Most people with whiplash — especially with low-grade, mild to moderate cases — recover quickly, usually within a few days or a few weeks. Severe whiplash, on the other hand, takes longer to heal, sometimes as long as several months. 

The time it takes you to recover from whiplash isn’t just determined by injury severity; it’s also influenced by your age, overall health, and musculoskeletal wellness, too. In general, your healing and recovery will likely take longer if you:

• Had severe pain soon after your whiplash injury
• Have a preexisting cervical condition like arthritis   
• Have a preexisting chronic headache disorder 

Healing is also more likely to take longer if you’re older, or if you delay medical care for severe symptoms. Furthermore, longer whiplash recovery times are associated with an increased risk of developing complications that give rise to long-term inflammation and pain. 

Prompt expert care supports healing

On the other hand, you’re more likely to heal from whiplash quickly if you’re younger, in good health, have less severe initial symptoms — and if you seek expert care ASAP after your trauma event, no matter how minor your initial symptoms may seem. 

First, an evaluation

When you see Dr. Okezie for a prompt whiplash evaluation, he conducts diagnostic imaging tests to detect potential concealed damage, like a herniated disc, a hairline fracture in one of your vertebrae, or a dislocated facet joint. What he sees informs your treatment plan to help you attain the best possible healing outcome. 

Rest and ice therapy

Most of the time, mild to moderate whiplash heals well with an initial period of rest and ice therapy (for up to 10 days). Early immobilization, or wearing a cervical collar, is usually only recommended in severe whiplash cases. 

Pain management

Effective pain management during the early phase of healing may take nothing more than an anti-inflammatory pain reliever, or you may require something stronger, like a muscle relaxer or nerve block. 

Heat and physical therapy

After 10 days, gentle heat therapy (heating pad) can increase blood flow to the area and encourage healing. Usually, at this point, physical therapy and a return to gentle activity is best; when it comes to optimal healing from whiplash, too much rest equals “rust.”  

Have you sustained a whiplash injury? We can help. Call or click online to schedule an appointment at your nearest Interventional Sports and Pain Management Associates office in Humble or Baytown, Texas, today.