14 Apr How Long Does Whiplash Last After A Car Accident?
You may be wondering, how long does whiplash last after a car accident?
The simple answer to this is, it depends.
If you were to look at the majority of sources today, a general sprain/strain injury will typically last for 6-8 weeks. However, when we look at car accidents, this can be a lot more difficult to estimate. Many factors need to be considered when looking at the overall healing process: speed of impact, location of impact, previous injuries, and daily activities. All of these will need to be factored in when estimating the approximate duration for full recovery.
When we look at Alberta’s Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) protocol, typically after an accident you will be granted 21 treatments over a 90 day period. More difficult cases, can take even longer and go into something called Section B if symptoms still persist after the initial treatments or 90 days. Typically at this point, a patient will be out of acute pain, but is potentially limited on some of their functional activities such as working out or lifting.
When we treat whiplash for a car accident, we need to re-establish mobility and eliminate pain as quickly as possible. This treatment is typically more manual therapy and hands-on care to help facilitate this process. Depending on the extent of the accident, this will take longer or shorter. Once out of acute pain, light rehab can be utilized to ensure engagement of some of the injured and weaker muscles to ensure strength is re-established. This period can take a little bit longer depending on where they are starting to begin with. The last goal is to return to all functional activities, this is where it can be highly variable on the timeline to fully recover. For example, a high functioning athlete who was involved in a high speed MVA may take longer to get back to all their activities vs. an individual who spends most of their day performing light duty tasks and was in a simple fender bender.
This is why it is so important to identify what the member needs at that particular point in time to help them return to all of their activities. A trained professional can recognize what that is, utilize it with their member and ultimately help them rehabilitate as quickly as possible after an accident. If you or someone you know has been in an accident, give the clinic a call or book in online with either one of our Chiropractors or Physiotherapists to make your recovery as seamless as possible.
We are always accepting new members who are ready to commit to their health and wellness journey. If you are ready to experience the MYo difference, book now so one of our team members can welcome you to the MYo Lab community!