Neck injury symptoms include neck stiffness, shoulder or arm pain, headache, facial pain and dizziness. Pain from a motor vehicle injury may be caused by tears in muscles or injuries to the joints between vertebrae. Other causes of pain are ligament rupture or damage to a disc.
A quick look at neck injuries
One of the impacts on our bodies is whiplash and Whiplash-Associated Disorders (WAD), both classified as neck injuries. Although vehicle collisions are the main cause, others include sports injury, shaking baby syndrome, blows to the head from a falling object and instances of major movement/collision.
Whiplash affects various areas of the cervical spine, depending on the force and direction of impact. In a whiplash injury, bony structures, ligaments, muscles, neurological pathways and other connective tissue may be affected.
Cervical spinal cord injuries are typically the most severe type of spinal cord injuries. They may result in quadriplegia or tetraplegia with associated loss of muscle strength in all four extremities.
Most symptoms of neck sprain or strain will go away in 4 to 6 weeks. However, severe injuries may take longer to heal completely. If you injure your neck during athletic competition, you may not return to sport until your symptoms have resolved (gone away completely) and you have received clearance from your doctor.
Common neck injury symptoms
Muscle spasms in neck and shoulders. Neck pain. Stiffness in the neck. Weakness in the legs, arms, hands or fingers.
What are the red flags for neck pain?
Assess for red flags including pain, myelopathy (compression of the spinal cord, malignancy, inflammation or infection, trauma or skeletal injury, vascular conditions, weakness or loss of sensation involving more than one myotome or dermatome or significant intractable or increasing pain.
What are symptoms of nerve damage in the neck?
This causes symptoms such as sharp pain in your neck, shoulder, arm, hand, or back. You may also have tingling or numbness. Sometimes it makes your arm weaker. The symptoms may get worse when you turn your head, cough, or sneeze.
Kind Regards,
The SpineAlign Team
