Whiplash
Neck pain and stiffness after the head is jolted forwards and back, most often in a car accident. It can take a day or two to come on. Most people recover well, and keeping the neck gently moving helps it settle faster than a collar or rest.
Also called whiplash injury, neck pain after a car accident, neck sprain.
Does this sound like you?
- Neck pain and stiffness after a crash or a jolt
- Pain spreading into the shoulders or upper back
- Headache at the base of the skull
- Turning your head, for example to reverse, is hard
This is not a diagnosis. Several things cause pain in the same place, which is why the list below matters.
Check these first: when it is not whiplash
If any of these apply, get checked before you start the exercises. The ones marked in red can't wait.
- Dizziness, double vision, trouble speaking or swallowing, or a severe headache. Call your emergency number
- After a crash with severe neck pain, pain in the midline of the neck, or if you can't turn your head. Get assessed before exercising
- Numbness, tingling or weakness in the arms or legs, or difficulty walking
- Pain that is getting worse after the first week rather than better
The exercises, in the order you would build them up
How long it takes
Most people are much better within a few weeks and recovered within two to three months. Staying active and at work, with adjustments, helps.
What the NHS says
The NHS's own pages on this, to check what you have read here against.
Waiting for an appointment?
Kinehub turns this into a daily plan, adjusts it as you improve or struggle, and keeps the record you hand over when you are finally seen.
Keep reading
More for the neck
- Guide · 3 minSleeping when it hurtsPositions that take the load off a sore back, neck, shoulder or hip, and the night-time pain that needs checking.
- Guide · 3 minSetting up your deskScreen, chair, keyboard and laptop set-up from the HSE's guidance, and why moving often matters more than one perfect posture.
- Guide · 6 minUnderstanding painWhy hurt does not always mean harm, and why that matters when you are deciding whether to move today.
A daily plan for whiplash
Kinehub turns these exercises into a short daily session with a demo for each one, and tracks your pain before and after so you can see whether it is working. Free to start.
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