{"id":1333,"date":"2012-10-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-10-25T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ati.local\/?p=1333"},"modified":"2024-12-17T17:33:26","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T17:33:26","slug":"what-you-need-to-know-about-whiplash-injuries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.atipt.com\/what-you-need-to-know-about-whiplash-injuries\/","title":{"rendered":"What you need to know about whiplash injuries"},"content":{"rendered":"

It typically happens in a split second \u2013 that screech of the brakes and then subsequent sound of metal clashing. The occupants in the car are jostled; often, their heads suddenly fly backwards and then quickly forward, resulting in a neck pain we know as \u201cwhiplash.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael Stevens, clinic director at\u00a0ATI Abingdon<\/a>, explains what \u201cwhiplash\u201d really is and how physical therapy can help treat the pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cOften, whiplash is a \u2018trash can\u2019 diagnosis,\u201d Michael says. \u201cIt\u2019s not very specific. More often than not, whiplash is actually diagnosed as neck pain or strain, and there are many different levels of pain and strain associated with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael says his first step with a new patient suffering from whiplash is to figure out what happened to cause the pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhiplash is almost always the result of a motor vehicle accident,\u201d Michael says. \u201cThe first question I ask is, \u2018How did your car fare in all of this?\u2019 and that answer is very telling. I can have two people with the same whiplash diagnosis, but one totaled his car and was life-lined to the nearest hospital and another experienced a fender bender with repairable damage. It helps me determine the possible severity and the best course of treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although the diagnosis can range in severity, here are a few things you should know about whiplash:<\/p>\n