How Long Does Whiplash Last (Realistic Recovery Timelines by Expert Doctor)
After a car accident, you might be wondering how long it will take to get better. It’s a question I’m asked all the time.
Hi, I’m Dr. Barry Marks, Chiropractor and Car Accident specialist in Orange County.
While no two accidents are the same, there are guidelines I use to determine how long it will take for a patient to recover. The guidelines are based on scientific studies of whiplash caused by car accidents.
You may be surprised to know, the guidelines have nothing to do with how much your vehicle was damaged. Studies have proven years ago that vehicle damage does not correlate with human bodily injury.
These guides are based on your history, what your symptoms are and when they started, your examination findings and your x-ray results. These factors place you into a category of the severity of your injury.
Once your severity category is established, That gives us a general timeline of how long your injury may take to resolve.
Remember, everyone is unique and these are guides not written in stone. You may take more or less time.
Whiplash Injury Category Treatment Durations
Mild Whiplash Injury
1-2 months of care
Mild to Moderate Whiplash Injury
3-4 months of care
Moderate Whiplash Injury
4-6 months care
Moderate to Severe Whiplash Injury
6 – 12 months of care
Severe Whiplash Injury
9-12+ months of care
Whiplash Treatment Stages
Treatment is basically broken down into 2 stages:
- Acute Inflammatory Stage
- Subacute Rehabilitative Stage
These stages can deviate slightly due to the severity of injury. So, for a very mild injury, the acute stage may be shorter. While a severe injury may require a longer acute treatment stage.
Initial Acute Inflammatory Stage. Weeks 1-4
This period is marked by
- Inflammation
- Pain
- Spasms
- Acute Tenderness
- Painful Range of Motion
Treatment Goals
- Reduce inflammation
- Reduce pain
- Relieve muscle spasms
- Improve range of motion
Treatment Methods
In Office Therapy
- Heat to improve blood flow, relax muscles.
- Interferential electrical stimulation to reduce pain and inflammation.
- Gentle soft tissue work to prevent adhesions (scars) in muscles.
- And Gentle chiropractic spinal adjustments to open up locked joints and stimulate nervous system normalization.
In Home Therapy
- Ice for the first 3 days.
- Alternating Heat for 15 minutes and Ice for 10 minutes after 3 days.
- Gentle range of motion stretches.
- Walking 10-30 minutes each day.
- Neck towel roll for rest and improving curvature of neck.
- And 90-90 position to rest back and decrease spasms.
Subacute Rehabilitation Stage. Weeks 4-12+
This period is marked by:
- Pain is decreased by approximately 50% or more.
- Acute spasms are gone.
- Tenderness has improved and now only on moderate pressure.
- Motion is improved, and is only painful at the end ranges of motion.
Treatment Goals:
- Continue to manage pain
- Strengthen muscles.
- Gain full and painless range of motion
Treatment Methods
In Office Therapy:
- Heat to increase blood flow.
- Interferential electrical stimulation to reduce pain and inflammation
- Gentle resisted exercises to lengthen tight muscles, and begin strengthening.
- Gentle chiropractic spinal adjustments to open up locked joints and stimulate nervous system normalization.
- Gravity traction to restore neck curve.
- Rehabilitative neck and back exercises to improve muscle strength and stabilize the spine.
In Home Therapy:
- Alternating Heat 15 min and Ice 10 min after 3 days.
- Neck and back rehab exercises to improve strength and stability.
- Walking 30 min each day.
- Neck towel roll for rest and improving the neck curvature.
- 90 90 position to rest the back and decrease tension.
The key to remember is that your particular injury is unique. You might not fit neatly into a box.
My job is to provide the proper treatment at the proper time to help you recover as completely and quickly as possible. Your health depends on getting this right. We do not want to under treat you which could cause your condition to become chronic and permanent. And of course, we do not want to over treat you which would result in taking up time and wasting money.
