Whiplash is a common injury for car accident victims. You can suffer from it after crashing at merely five to 10 miles per hour. And while whiplash can be uncomfortable and painful for anyone who suffers from it, older adults might experience more painful symptoms.
Why might older adults suffer more?
The neck is a vulnerable part of the body for anyone. But older adults might suffer more from whiplash because of arthritis, muscle inflexibility and tight discs and ligaments. As a result, they are more likely to experience heightened symptoms of whiplash due to the loss of strength and flexibility in their necks.
Recognizing the symptoms of whiplash
After a car accident, you don’t always feel the signs of an injury until hours or even days later. With that in mind, there are definite symptoms of whiplash that you can look out for in the aftermath of your crash:
- Tingling in the arms
- Headaches
- Sharp pain with neck movement
- Fatigue
- Neck stiffness
- Shoulder soreness
- Dizziness
Whiplash can be painful and long-lasting
Whether you know you’ve experienced whiplash or not, it’s important that you don’t disregard the pain or assume that it will go away on its own. An untreated case of whiplash just means prolonged and chronic pain for you. You might even have a fracture or dislocation that needs fixing. If you don’t seek medical help as soon as possible, it can continue to cause you extreme pain and discomfort and could even lead to permanent neck immobility and stiffness.
Because whiplash can be more problematic in older adults, you may even have to seek ongoing medical treatment because of it. Medical bills can add up quickly and might even become difficult to afford, especially if your accident resulted in additional damages.
That’s why it’s crucial that you seek help for your whiplash as soon as you can. You may be able to recover benefits that can help you heal from your accident-related injuries.
