Health
Marisa HeinzeDecember 20, 2022
Injury to the cervical spine: causes, symptoms and prevention
The so-called whiplash is an injury in the neck and cervical spine area and is often mentioned in the context of a car accident. The injury occurs when the neck and spine are suddenly subjected to force or movement. However, in addition to car accidents, there are a number of other causes that can lead to such an injury. In this article, you'll learn how to prevent whiplash and what you can do to reduce pain.
What happens in the body during whiplash?
As mentioned above, whiplash occurs when sudden changes in movement force the cervical and upper spine to make sudden, very violent movements. This can lead to a sprain.
The sharper and stronger the movement, the greater the force on the neck. At worst, whiplash can fracture the vertebrae in the neck, damaging the spinal cord and the network of nerves that connect it.
Who is most affected by whiplash?
In principle, there is a risk of whiplash, e.g. caused by an accident, in all of us. However, some groups of people have an increased risk:
- People over the age of 65: As they are usually more susceptible to muscle and bone injuries of any kind due to age-related muscle and bone deterioration and weakness.
- Women: Compared to men, women are often more at risk due to their smaller size and muscle mass. This can be seen, for example, in vehicle design: headrests are there to prevent the head from moving too far backwards in a collision. However, their dimensions are tailored to the average man. If the size is smaller, the protective effect is limited.
What symptoms can whiplash cause?
The symptoms of whiplash depend on how severe the whiplash was and how much your neck was stretched or compressed. The greater the expansion or compression, the greater the injury. Therefore, experts have developed a rating system for the severity of whiplash-associated diseases:
- Grade 0: No injury
- Grade 1: Pain only
- Grade 2: Pain and signs of injury
- Grade 3: Pain plus signs of injury and neurological effects
- Severity 4: Severe pain and signs of severe or dangerous neurological effects
Frequent injury symptoms from grade 3 whiplash
The violations mentioned above include:
- Muscle weakness
- Numbness (including loss of temperature sensitivity) in the neck, upper back, shoulders, or upper arms
- Burning or tingling in the neck, upper back, shoulders, or upper arms
- Vision problems
- Hoarseness or loss of voice (dysphonia) and difficulty swallowing (dysphagia).
- Dizziness
How is whiplash treated?
The most common treatments for whiplash include:
- Immobilization
- Medications
- Exercise/physiotherapy
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
- High-frequency nerve ablation
- Spinal Surgery
How to prevent whiplash
Regular muscle training is a good way to avoid whiplash or reduce its negative effects. Our fitness experts in the EVO Clubs will be happy to advise you on which exercises are particularly suitable for you. Make an appointment today for a non-binding consultation with trial training in one of our clubs in Hamburg, Düsseldorf or Berlin.