Overview

Whiplash is a condition that happens when sudden movement changes force your neck (cervical spine) and upper spine to move in ways that cause injury. This causes a form of neck sprain.

Whiplash refers to a single concept but can have a wide range of effects. Experts refer to conditions that happen due to whiplash as “whiplash-associated disorders.” Whiplash can also happen with sudden movement changes in any direction.

Because it involves a neck injury, first responders and medical personnel will often treat whiplash as an emergency condition. Healthcare providers will also approach it with extreme caution until they can confirm, treat and stabilize a dangerous injury, or rule out that kind of injury.

Who does whiplash affect?

Whiplash can affect anyone at any age, but is more likely to cause serious or lasting injuries in two groups: older adults and women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB). It’s more serious in older adults (over age 65) because they’re typically more prone to muscle and bone injuries of any kind. That’s usually due to age-related muscle and bone deterioration and weakening.

Women and people AFAB are more likely to have whiplash-type injuries in car crashes, which may be due to several factors:

  • Height. Experts suspect that’s because women and people AFAB have a shorter average height compared to men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB).
  • Spine structure differences. Women and people AFAB also have a different spinal column structure than men and people AMAB. That affects the distance between each vertebra (the interlocking bones that make up your spine).
  • Muscle differences. Women and people AFAB usually have less muscle tissue, which can act as a shock absorber to reduce the effects of sudden impact forces. That means they have less available muscle to help absorb movement forces.
  • Vehicle construction. Modern vehicle construction may contribute to the risk of injury for women and people AFAB. Head restraints (better known as headrests) are there to stop your head from moving backward too far in a collision. Because women and people AFAB have a shorter average height, seat back and headrest height may affect them differently.

How common is whiplash?

Whiplash is fairly common, affecting millions of people worldwide each year.

How does whiplash affect my body?

Whiplash happens because of how one law of physics, the law of inertia, affects the human body. Think about what it’s like to be in a moving car when the driver suddenly steps on the brakes. Inertia is why your body keeps moving forward even though the car is stopping. Inertia is also why you press back into your seat if the driver suddenly steps on the gas and goes from a complete stop to rapid acceleration.

Just like you’re a passenger in the car in the above analogy, your brain is a passenger in your skull. Sharp, sudden movements can cause your brain to smack against the inside of your skull, causing injury to your brain. That’s why your neck is like a shock absorber for your head, naturally compressing, extending or twisting to minimize the effect of sudden movements on your brain.

Whiplash happens when inertia causes your head, neck and body to move at different speeds. That forces your neck to compress or extend too quickly or in ways that push the muscles, ligaments and bones of your spine beyond what they can tolerate.

The sharper and stronger the movement, the greater the force on your neck. That’s why whiplash injuries can range from minor to severe. However, even weak levels of force can still cause moderate or severe whiplash. Experts don’t fully understand why this happens, but research is ongoing. At its worst, whiplash can break the vertebrae in your neck, creating a risk of damage to your spinal cord and its network of connected nerves.

Products & Services
A Book: Future Care

Symptoms

When to see a doctor

Request an appointment


Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.
The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:
  • High blood pressure.
  • Diabetes.
  • Heart failure.
  • Some types of heart valve disease.
Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:
  • Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
  • Don't smoke or use tobacco.
  • Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
  • Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
  • Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Reduce and manage stress.


Print

Living with atrial fibrillation?

Connect with others like you for support and answers to your questions in the Heart Rhythm Conditions support group on Freedmans Health Clinic Connect, a patient community.

Heart Rhythm Conditions Discussions

See more discussions

Comments are closed for this post.