Anyone had a whiplash accident?

username6120211

(edited 12 months ago)

Because your neck is such a complex mass of muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments it can be a troublesome piece of anatomy to repair, and to eventually to get fluid free motion. If you can tolerate ibuprofen try it but eat something first so you don't take it on an empty stomach. Ask your GP about ibuprofen as a suppository if you have stomach problems with anti inflammatories if you think they help? Follow any medical advice and look at physiotherapy or use of an osteopath or chiropractor. The key is to get your full range of movement back and to strengthen all the muscle groups around the injury site. Be determined to come back fitter and stronger because your muscle strength protects you.

As long as there are no major issues with dislocations, fractures, disc prolapses etc the general advice usually just to keep using it and do as much activity as pain allows. Eventually the niggles and pain will stop. It is surprising that if some anatomy is out of balance or alignment even by a few mm it can aggravate the pain. If you are overweight at all, the lack of space taken up by fat cells when tissues swell can sometimes put extra pressure on nerves. Having had a few neck injuries, I can say it can take a long time in certain instances to get rid of the neck pain, sometimes up to 18 months. Often it is small muscle spasms, or nearby groups of muscles that spasm and create havoc but if the pain doesn't go it can be quite a depressing time. Try a weighted wheat bag (purchase online or your physio) It's like an 'U' shaped aeroplane sleep pillow but filled with wheat. Put it in the microwave to provide weight on your shoulders and warmth to your muscles to help everything relax. I found this really helpful combined with pain relief.

After 6 months or so with a chronic injury when every one else is having a good time, going out, doing sports, going to theme parks etc and you are struggling to find anything that doesn't involve much more than slow walking it brings it home how much you depend on your neck and spine to work properly. You begin to realise how bad a bus journey really is, and curse every council for not filling in pot holes. Don't be surprised if you hit the black wall of just being pain fed up. You are allowed to feel sorry for yourself. The novelty of the injury has worn off, and you are usually having a mental battle every day to disregard the pain. It is exhausting. Friends and family may have been sympathetic initially, but a few months down the line you are on your own. Remember it will get better eventually, and one day you will realise you are suddenly free of pain.

In context remind yourself you are not paralysed or stuck in a hospital bed being manually turned with every orifice washed by a third party. You will forever understand how precious your health is and how much your neck is crucial to a good life. You will be ok eventually. Remember premier footballers get match fit again very very quickly because they have access to many sports physiotherapy processes. Their inactivity costs the club money. Often it is us ordinary people without intensive physiotherapy and sport injury support who take the longest to get better. If you can afford it seek out additional rehabilitation support. If it was a car accident and you were a passenger or a driver and the other party was at fault you can claim private physiotherapy and get it fast tracked from the car insurance to help you return to work fit sooner.

Don't worry if you are not 100% right now - it is just a matter of recovery time so keep looking forward and hoping you will be pain free soon.