Save Your Neck with These Whiplash Treatments

When a strong force causes your neck to move beyond its normal range of motion, this can lead to a neck injury known as whiplash. This painful condition frequently results from car accidents, assaults, accidental falls, and sports injuries. These whiplash injuries need to be evaluated by a physician as soon as possible and may require x-rays. The treatment for whiplash varies by the severity of the neck injury and the amount of neck pain you experience. While a major neck injury can require surgery, milder cases of whiplash can be treated with the following remedies.

Treatments to Head Off Neck Pain

When you’re up to your neck in pain from a neck injury, you’ll do anything to get relief. Fortunately, there are many different treatments to alleviate and eliminate the agony of whiplash. Your provider will prescribe the remedies to suit your situation. It can take some time to fully recover, but these treatments should help your neck injury heal:

• Apply ice packs or cold compresses to your neck for about 20 minutes at a time to reduce pain and swelling. Repeat this process every hour, as necessary, for up to three days after your neck injury.
• Use a cervical collar for the first few days for the amount of time prescribed by your provider.
• Avoid moving your head and neck until your pain and muscle tightness are gone.
• Stay away from strenuous activities, heavy lifting, and sports.
• Consider non-traditional medical treatments for your neck pain, such as massage, acupuncture, or chiropractic care.

Pain Relievers That Crack the Whip on Neck Pain

The agony of whiplash can be constant and consuming. To get real relief from this grief, your provider may prescribe these remedies for your neck pain:

• Over-the-counter or prescription pain medications
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs)
• Muscle relaxers
• Narcotic pain medication for cases of severe whiplash
• Benzodiazepine medications like Valium to soothe muscle tightness and spasms