Whiplash and Back Injury
Whiplash and back injuries are some of the most common serious car accident injuries covered by car insurers.
Back injuries involve the muscle, ligaments, spine or other joints or tissues. Soft tissue injuries are the most common non-spinal injuries from auto accidents and include sprains and strains of the muscles and/or ligaments in the back.
Non-spinal cord back injuries can cause annoying temporary pain as many other forms of back injuries can result to permanent disabilities.
Severe back injuries include:
- slipped discs
- herniated discs
- compression fractures
- internal decapitation
Whiplash injuries are usually incurred in rear impact car collisions which cause the head and neck to be forced into hyperextension as the seat pushes the person's torso forward - and the unrestrained head and neck to fall backwards.
This abnormal motion causes damage to the soft tissues that hold the cervical vertebrae together (ligaments, facet capsules, muscles).
The most common symptoms of whiplash include:
- neck pain and stiffness,
- headache
- shoulder pain and stiffness
- dizziness
- fatigue
- jaw pain
- arm pain and weakness
- visual disturbances
- back pain
Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD) can include other symptoms such as:
- depression
- anger
- frustration
- stress
- drug dependency
- post-traumatic stress syndrome
- insomnia