1. Will I make a full recovery?
Most people recover from a whiplash injury although at different rates. No injury is the same as another. A small percentage of people who have a whiplash injury may develop long-term neck pain. Research is being conducted worldwide to understand why there are different recovery rates between different people. Some reasons have been identified such as age and initial severity of the pain or injury. However, there is still more to be learnt.
2. How long will it take to get better?
Many people recover within a few days or weeks. For others it may take several months to experience substantial improvement in symptoms. Ongoing symptoms may vary in their intensity during the recovery period. This is normal.
3. What can I do to help my recovery?
Research has shown that it is better to try to keep doing normal daily activities as much as possible to aid recovery. You need to take care of your neck and not expose it to unnecessary strain during the healing phase. It’s also important to regularly exercise your neck muscles.
4. Can I do the same activities as before? Are there any limitations?
In the early stages of recovery, you may need to adapt some activities to care for your neck. However you should gradually resume normal activity as your neck improves (work, recreation and social). It may be necessary to limit some of your usual work and recreational activities in the early to mid-stage of recovery. Be adaptable - find new ways to do tasks to avoid unnecessary strain on your neck.