Can Whiplash Turn into a Permanent Injury Without Treatment?

Half of all people with a whiplash injury will fully recover within three months. The other half will continue to deal with ongoing symptoms.

Some may recover in a year; others will struggle with pain for five years or longer. And for some, the injury may never fully heal.

Early treatment for a whiplash can make the difference between a full recovery and an injury that progresses into a long-lasting, disabling condition.

Whether your symptoms are mild or you have severe pain, it’s always crucial to seek an immediate evaluation and receive the appropriate treatment for neck pain.

As experts in physical medicine, rehabilitation, and pain management, our Florida Pain Medicine team has helped many patients heal and regain optimal health after a whiplash.

Here’s what you need to know about the injury and the factors that increase the risk of it turning into a long-term health challenge.

About whiplash injuries

A whiplash occurs when a sudden impact forces your neck to snap back and forth or side to side, causing an acceleration-deceleration injury.

As the neck is pulled well beyond the spine’s normal range of motion, the ligaments are sprained, and the tendons and muscles are strained. In a severe whiplash, the soft tissues may tear, and the discs, vertebrae, and nerves may be injured.

Car accidents are the most common cause of whiplash injuries, but the same movement can occur during any activity that leads to a sudden, forceful impact on your body. For example, high-impact sports, riding a roller coaster, and taking a hard fall can cause whiplash.

Whiplash symptoms

After incurring whiplash, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• Neck pain
• Neck stiffness (with or without pain)
• Headache
• Back and shoulder pain
• Muscle spasms
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Hoarseness or loss of voice
• Bruising and swelling
• Sensitivity to touch
• Tingling and burning sensations

Don’t rely on symptoms to decide when to seek help. Even if you have a serious whiplash injury, your symptoms can be delayed. 

Symptoms may appear immediately or not show up for several days, making it vital to schedule an assessment regardless of how you feel after the injury.

Risk factors

There’s no doubt that early treatment for your injuries lowers your risk of developing prolonged whiplash symptoms. Let’s explore the factors that may increase the risk.

You’re more likely to develop long-term symptoms if you have any of the following after your whiplash injury:

• Severe neck pain
• Numerous symptoms
• Injured vertebrae, discs, or nerves
• Widespread body pain
• Early pain-related disability
• Psychological challenges (such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder)
• Grade 2 whiplash or higher

The severity of a whiplash injury is graded on the following scale:

• Grade 0: No injury
• Grade 1: Pain only
• Grade 2: Pain plus signs of injury
• Grade 3: Pain plus signs of injury and neurological effects
• Grade 4: Severe pain and signs of serious or dangerous neurological effects

More severe injuries, along with the presence of nerve inflammation and damage, lead to increased pain and longer-lasting discomfort.

Early treatment is essential

Severe injuries like ruptured ligaments and damaged vertebrae may need surgery to repair the underlying damage and ensure healing.

However, most people with whiplash have mildly to severely pulled muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These injuries must heal on their own, making early treatment essential to support a full recovery.

If you don’t take the right steps to promote healing, the injury may worsen or the tissues won’t heal properly, increasing the risk of a long-term recovery or permanent disability.

Whiplash treatment

We begin your whiplash treatment with the most appropriate conservative care, such as limited immobilization, medication, cold and heat application, exercises, and progressive physical therapy.

As we treat your neck, we constantly monitor your recovery, watching for signs of potential long-term complications. For example, it’s critical to reduce and manage your pain.

The longer the pain lasts, the more likely you are to develop nerve changes that cause prolonged symptoms and promote chronic whiplash. Additionally, pain relief is essential for you to engage in the exercises that help to heal, reduce inflammation, and restore strength.

As interventional pain specialists, we have extensive experience performing minimally invasive procedures, such as nerve blocks and radiofrequency nerve ablation, which dramatically relieve pain.

Don’t wait to seek help

Schedule a neck evaluation immediately after suffering a whiplash injury, regardless of symptom severity. Call Florida Pain Medicine today or book online to get expert care for a neck injury.