Whiplash is a great song by the heavy metal band Metallica…. It is also a common musculoskeletal condition that occurs to the neck and upper back region, often sustained as a result of sudden acceleration-deceleration movements. A common example of this is when someone has been involved in a car accident. Or overly aggressive head banging at a metal concert. That last one is actually more common than you would think, which is why I often advise to do a good warm up before going out to music events.Â
Before I go into a lengthy tangent on proper head banging warm ups and technical execution, I will first endeavor to discuss the fascinating and painful condition known as whiplash.Â
Whiplash and Whiplash associated disorders:
Whiplash refers to the mechanism of injury (how it happened). Whiplash associated disorders (WAD) refers to the collection of symptoms such as pain, stiffness, muscle spasm and headache.
Often WAD can be managed with gentle osteopathic hands on treatment and specific rehabilitative exercises to the affected areas, however given the traumatic nature of WAD a thorough assessment will be conducted by your osteopath or chosen health professional and if it is warranted you may be sent for further investigations or imaging.Â
There is 4 grades commonly used to classify WAD:
Grade 1 neck pain, stiffness, or tenderness with no positive findings on physical exams.Â
Grade 2, the patient exhibits musculoskeletal signs including decreased range of motion and point tenderness.  Â
Grade 3, the patient also shows neurologic signs that may include sensory deficits, decreased deep tendon reflexes, muscle weakness.
Grade 4, the patient shows a fracture
Once your practitioner establishes the grade of severity for WAD the treatment plan will often have a good combination of pain relief via hands on treatments, as well as various exercises used to restore quality of movement and relieve pain in the neck, shoulders, upper back and surrounding tissues. They will also advise on use of heat or ice, taping or bracing if indicated, and refer for medications or diagnostic imaging if required.
Your osteopath will also educate you on the best management of your condition and steps to take in adjusting work and other lifestyle factors while recovering. Given the complex nature of WAD recovery can occur within several weeks or can take months depending on severity of injury, other underlying conditions and lifestyle factors. Therefore, if you believe you have experienced whiplash it is important to immediately be assessed by a health professional to achieve the best possible outcomes.
As always if you require further information don't hesitate to contact us. Stay safe, keep active and keep rocking!
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