Neck Injury

Any neck injury, such as whiplash should be fully evaluated by a health care provider.

In general, injuries involving soft tissues, are similar to a cut on your finger. When a tissue, such as a muscle, is involved in a neck injury, it tears and bleeds. When the bleeding stops a scab is formed. After the scab falls off a scar is left. Scar tissue is weaker, less elastic and more pain sensitive than normal tissue.

During the initial tear of a muscle in a neck injury, there is inflammation present often for the first few days, so it is important not to use heat for neck pain relief which would cause more inflammation. Cold applications are appropriate until any swelling and inflammation is gone along with a soft type of neck brace to help limit further tearing and prevent sudden temperature changes.

It is important to remember that muscles will start to weaken just a few days after motion is restricted. It is important to minmize inflammation so that motion can be restored thus minimizing scar tissue formation and muscle imbalance to limit chronic neck pain.

Whiplash Neck Injury

Common symptoms of whiplash injury are neck pain from mild muscle strain or minor tearing of muscles and/or ligaments. In more severe cases, this type of neck injury may include nerve damage, disc damage, and in the most severe cases ruptures of ligaments in the neck and fractures of the neck bones. Minor whiplash neck injuries are usually associated with pain and limited motion of the head and neck. These symptoms are usually temporary, but occasionally they may persist and include headaches, dizziness, and tingling in the arms indicating pain may be more than a minor neck strain or sprain.

Exercises For Neck Stability

Neck stability exercises can improve spinal flexibility while decreasing pain and restore dynamic stability with chronic neck dysfunction.

Exercises that work towards stability with increased flexibility help to reduce chronic neck pain and make it easier to keep your neck in a healthy position. Tight muscles cause imbalances in spinal movements and this can leave one vulnerable to neck injury more. Flexibility exercises for the neck can be helpful in establishing safe movement.

A progression of neck stability exercises can increase flexibility in the neck, ease neck pain, and can also reduce the chance of reinjury.

By increasing the strength of muscles that support the neck, the spine is brought into a safe position. This training of the muscles can keep you healthy by restoring optimal neck posture. Stabilization training, series of strengthening exercises, is a way to get better balance in the muscles around your neck, chest, and upper back which are helpful in supporting your neck in safe positions while you are working or when you are doing other daily activities.

Heat Therapy For Neck Pain

Generally, heat should not be applied to an acute neck injury (3-4 days) or where discoloration or swelling is present. Heat can produce an increase in internal bleeding and swelling where there is significant damage. A strain of a muscle is similar to a cut on a finger. There is pain, swelling and bleeding. You would not use heat initially until the bleeding stops and the tissue forms a scab or scar. Initially, the use of ice for neck pain relief would be recommended, except if you wake up in the morning with a stiff neck from sleeping under a cold draft; Then use heat.