Whiplash is a neck injury from a fast back-and-forth movement of the head, most often in a car crash, especially when you are hit from behind. Quantum’s physical therapists and chiropractors treat it, and when it comes from a crash, we bill your No-Fault insurer directly.
Whiplash symptoms
They usually start within a few days of the injury, not always right away:
- Neck pain and stiffness that get worse when you move your head
- Less range of motion: trouble turning to look over your shoulder
- Headaches that start at the base of the skull
- Pain or tenderness in the shoulders, upper back or arms
- Tingling or numbness in the arms, tiredness or dizziness
When whiplash needs emergency care
Go to an emergency room if the neck pain is severe after the crash, or if you have numbness or weakness in your arms. Even when the pain is mild, have your neck checked soon after any accident: an early diagnosis rules out a fracture or other damage before treatment starts. Read whether chiropractors can fix whiplash.
Your first visit for whiplash
Your provider asks how the crash happened and where you feel it, then checks how far you can turn and tilt your head, where the neck is tender, and the strength, reflexes and feeling in your arms. If something suggests a fracture or another injury that needs imaging, you are referred for it before treatment begins.
How we treat whiplash
The plan usually combines chiropractic care to restore motion in the neck and upper back with physical therapy to strengthen the muscles that hold your head up and to retrain your posture. The aim is to get you moving again, gradually, rather than keeping the neck still for weeks.
If the pain lingers, pain management is available through visiting specialists. Pain or tingling that travels down an arm can mean a pinched nerve, and the plan takes it into account. For neck pain that didn’t start with a crash, see neck pain.
Whiplash and your No-Fault claim
Whiplash from a car accident is usually covered by No-Fault, the part of every New York auto policy that pays for medical care after a crash, whoever caused it. Tell us it was a car accident when you call or come in, and give the insurer written notice within 30 days of the crash. If you were driving for work, your care is a workers’ compensation case instead.
