8 Best Stretches & Exercises for Whiplash
Maybe you’ve visited your doctor and they’ve told you that you’ve got a whiplash injury. or maybe you’ve woken up with much more neck soreness than you expected yesterday. Now what? whats is whiplash? and when does it go away? Is there anything i can do? We’re going to cover everything you need to know about whiplash and how you can help reduce the pain from home.
What is whiplash?
Whiplash is a neck injury that happens due to a forceful, rapid back and forth movement of your neck which can injure bones in the spine (vertebrae), discs between the bones, ligaments, muscles, and other tissues of the neck. The medical diagnosis for this injury is “Whiplash Assosciated Disorder” or WAD for short.
There are 4 classifications of whiplash, each with a distinguishing factor that tells us how long it’ll take to heal on average.
Whiplash Assosciated Disorder 1 - WAD I - Neck pain alone
Whiplash Assosciated Disorder 2- WAD II - Neck pain with loss of range of motion in any direction
Whiplash Assosciated Disorder 3 - WAD III - Neck pain with loss of motion and neurological symptoms (tingling in hands, down arm, numbness
Whiplash Assosciated Disorder 4 - WAD IV - Neck pain with fracture or dislocation
For any of these, its important to see a healthcare provider to differentiate the classification of whiplash, especially if you suspect type 3 or 4. As you can imagine, WAD IV is a medical emergency and an ambulance call is appropriate.
What are the causes of whiplash?
Car accident (the most common cause)
Sports accidents
Physical incidents (fights, hit unexpectently)
Traumas
What are the symptoms of whiplash?
The symptoms of whiplash may not appear immediately. Often these symptoms develop the next day or even a few days after the injury/ Common symptoms include:
Pain and stiffness of the neck
Worsening of the pain and movement of the neck
Headaches
Pain and tenderness of the shoulder, Upper-back or arms
Fatigue and dizziness
Numbness in the arms
Blurred vision
Insomnia due to the pain
Difficulty concentrating
How would you know that you have whiplash?
Whiplash symptoms can range from mild to severe, however the mechanism of injury will typically involve a throwing back and forth of the head. If the symptoms above are present, its a good idea to get a medical opinion.
Here’s what the doctors will do to determine if your pain is whiplash
History
The doctor will ask you questions related to your symptoms and any recent event such as a fall or car accident that might be the cause of your pain. Your doctor can derive a lot of information about your pain simply by asking questions in the history taking.
Physical Examination
Your doctor will examine your neck with palpation (pressing firmly) of the affected areas.
The doctor will ask you to do some movements of your head and neck in order to test the range of motion. These movements include: lateral flexion (ear to shoulder), rotation (chin to shoulder), forward flexion, and extension.
Next up are orthopaedic tests, which as specific movements that look to aggrevate areas that are effected. Pain on these movements will help highlight the structures that are affected
No physical exam is complete without a neurological screen, in which you nerves are tested for responsiveness, sensation, and power.
Imaging Tests:
Although a whiplash injury is not typicallly diagnosed through imaging, your doctor might order tests in order to exclude fractures (WAD4) or any other condition that could be making your pain worse. Below are the typical imaging tests your doctor may order.
X-ray: to identify fractures or dislocations
Computerized tomography (CT): to identify any possible bone damage
Magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI): MRI can produce 3D images that are more detailed and accurate to identify bone injuries, and some soft tissue injuries such as spinal cord, discs, and ligaments.
Treatment Of Whiplash
The treatment is divided into two sections: medications and physical therapy in order to relieve your pain and restore the normal motion of your head and neck
Medication:
The doctor may prescribe one or more of these medications:
Over the counter pain relievers: such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen
Prescription medications: Most commonly prescribed are analgesic meds (pain killers), antiinflammatory medication, muscle relaxants, and if necessary medication to reduce nerve related pain or numbess .
Injections: An injection of local anesthesia such as lidocaine into the painful muscle area in order to relieve the pain.
Physical therapy
1. Passive physical therapy: Ultrasound, massage therapy, electrotherapy, applying heat and ice are forms of passive therapy in which your can rest as the therapist or equipment does majority of the work. This is great in conuction with active physical therapy to really provide the quickest chacne at full recovery.
2. Active physical therapy: Physiotherapusts will prescribe stretches and exercises to reduce pain in the affected muscles, strengthen the overall area, and keep a good blood circulation in order to restore normal motion of the neck
How Do I Treat Whiplash At Home?
We’ve included 8 amazing exercises that help melt away tightness and pain after a whiplash injury, all of which you can do from the comfort of your home!
1.Chin tucks:
Purpose: to stretch the muscles in the cervical spine. It could be performed in a lying position or a seated position. To watch the video click here
How to be performed in a lying position?
A. Lie on your back and look at the ceiling
B. Move your chin toward the chest
C. Hold 5 seconds to feel a comfortable stretch from your neck to the base of your head.
D. Repeat it 10 times
How to be performed in a seated position?
A. Sit in the correct sitting posture such as the below photo
B. Look forward, move your head backward so your chin is tucked down while nothing beneath your head should move.
C. Hold for 5 seconds
D. Repeat it 10 times
2. Side to side head rotation:
Purpose: to decrease tightness and increase the mobility of the neck. It could be performed in a lying position or a seated position. To watch the video click here.
How to be performed in a lying position?
A. Lie on your back
B. Rotate your chin toward your right shoulder and you can use your hand to pull your head further into the stretch gently.
C. Hold for 20 seconds
D. Repeat it one more time toward your left shoulder
E. Repeat the stretch 3-5 times on each side
How to be performed in a seated position?
A. Sit in the correct sitting posture
B. Rotate your chin toward the right shoulder and you can use your hand to pull your head deeper gently
C. Hold for 20 seconds
D. Repeat it one more time toward the left shoulder
E. Repeat this stretch 3-5 times on each side
3. Side bending:
Purpose: to decrease tightness and increase the mobility of the neck. It can be performed in a lying position or seated position. To watch the video click here.
How to be performed in a lying position?
A. Lie on your back
B. Move your head to the right by bringing your right ear close to your right shoulder and you can use your hand to pull your head deeper into the stretch gently.
C. Hold for 20 seconds
D. Repeat it one more time on the left side
E. Repeat this stretch 3-5 times on each side
How to be performed in a seated position?
A. Sit in the correct sitting posture
B. Lower your right ear toward your right shoulder and you can use your hand for gently pulling your head deeper
C. Hold for 20 seconds
D. Repeat the same on the left side
E. Repeat the stretch 3-5 times on each side
4. Scapular stabilization exercise:
Purpose: to relief the neck pain according to this research published in the Asian spine Journal
Steps:
A. Stand with your arms hanging at your side, your head facing straight ahead, and your shoulders relaxed
B. Move your shoulders gently backward and pull your shoulder blades into a down and back position. Your chest should protrude forward slightly while making this motion
C. Hold for 10 seconds
D. Complete five repetitions two times per day then you can increase the duration gradually
E. After that as a progression you can anchor a resistance band to a door then pull toward you with both ends of it while doing a scapular squeeze
To watch more about scapular stabilization exercises, click here.
5. Isometrics:
Purpose: for strengthening the muscles of the neck, upper back
Steps:
A. Place your palm on your forehead
B. Push your head against your palm without bending your neck at all
C. Hold 3-5 seconds
D. Repeat 10 times per day
For watching the exercise and more isometric neck exercises, check this video.
6. Prone cobra:
Purpose: for strengthening the muscles of the neck, upper back, and shoulder griddle.
Steps:
A. Lye on the floor with your face down, you can put a rolled hand towel under your forehead for comfort.
B. Place your arms at the sides with palms down on the floor
C. make your tongue at the roof of your mouth to stabilize the muscles in the front of the neck to assist in strengthening
D. Pinch the shoulder blades and lift the hands off the floor
E. Roll the elbows in, palms out, and thumbs up
F. Lift your forehead gently about one inch off the towel with keeping the eyes looking at the floor
G. Hold for 10 seconds, then do 10 repetitions.
Click here for watching the video.
7. The corner stretch:
Purpose: for stretching the muscles of the chest and front of the neck, an positioning the scapulae
Steps:
A. Face the corner of a room or place your forearms on the door jams
B. Make your feet position about 2 feet away from the corner
C. put your forearms on each side of the wall with the elbows slightly below shoulder height.
D. Lean forward till you feel a good stretch across the chest and shoulders
E. Hold for 30 seconds, It can be done 4 to 5 times per day
Click here to watch the exercise video.
8. Levator scapular stretch:
Purpose: Stretching the levator scapulae, which is often the big knot in your upper back
Steps:
A. Sit on the correct sitting posture with keeping shoulders down
B. Hold the bottom of the seat with one hand
C. Slightly turn your chin toward your armpit till feeling a comfortable stretch on the opposite side of the neck
D. Hold for 20 seconds then do it one more time for the opposite side
E. Perform 3 repetitions 2 times daily
For watching the exercise check this video from Bob and Brad channel.
How Long Does Whiplash Last?
Prognosis of whiplash:
Recovery from whiplash takes from few weeks to several months according to the intensity of the case but generally it takes more time for recovery in these cases:
1. If you have had whiplash before
2. Older age
3. If the patient has low back pain or neck pain
4. High-speed injury
How Do I Sleep With whiplash?
According to Alaska sleep clinic, there are some helpful tips for comfortable sleeping at night:
1. Before going bed, try to apply an ice pack or a heat compress for 20 minutes as it helps in relieving pain.
2. Use a special neck pillow while sleeping, avoid using the regular one in your bed. The neck pillow will keep your neck stable and provide better support for it so you can sleep well.
3. There are two of the best sleeping positions to use:
A. Sleeping on your back:
This prevents an extra tension to be built upon the neck and the whole body
B. Sleeping on your side:
This will keep your spine in more of a natural curvature, not out of alignment
Summary
Whiplash is an injury that can really affect your daily activities until it resolves. Accidents to happen, but how we manage them after can make a huge difference on how long the pain will bother you. These stretches are great for home and helping relieve pain, but for the BEST recovery make sure to see a professional. Your automobile insurance will cover your treatment so that it is completly free for you. We recommend at least an assessment, so that these excersises from home will be enough to get you better.
I Need An Assessment For Whiplash
If you would like a thorough examination of your neck pain by one of our experts, please fill out the form. If this is related to a car accident in Ontario, your assessment with us is FREE for you, and we handle all the paperwork needed.
Click here to find our more about car accident physiotherapy