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Whiplash and soft-tissue injuries

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Contents
  1. Sprain and strain are different
  2. Clinical assessment
  3. Records and claims
  4. Related entries
  5. References

Whiplash is a soft-tissue injury of the neck, also described as neck sprain or strain by MedlinePlus. The term identifies an injury category, not a measure of its severity or a diagnosis that follows automatically from a particular collision configuration.[1]

Sprain and strain are different

A sprain involves stretched or torn ligaments, which connect bones at a joint. A strain involves a stretched or torn muscle or tendon. MedlinePlus identifies pain and impaired movement among symptoms. Using the terms accurately matters because "soft tissue" covers different structures rather than one uniform condition.[2]

Clinical assessment

MedlinePlus explains that neck symptoms have different possible causes, and treatment depends on the cause. Its neck-injury guidance lists options that can include physical therapy and medication. A reference article cannot select a treatment or determine whether a particular reader's neck pain resulted from a collision.[1]

Records and claims

The medical description should remain separate from the claim label. Records describing the affected structures and the clinician's findings are more precise than simply calling every painful neck "whiplash." Neither the definition of a sprain nor that of a strain establishes a recovery timetable for an individual person. Medical guidance should come from a treating professional.[1][2]

References

  1. abc Neck injuries and disorders. MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/neckinjuriesanddisorders.html. official. Checked . Source record
  2. ab Sprains and strains. MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/sprainsandstrains.html. official. Checked . Source record