I have been wounded in the neck before, a whiplash from a car crash and an injury from, believe it or not, a basketball at extreme velocity to the back of my head. Though the incidents were neither pleasing, I have recovered from it.

The spine is a flexible, vertical column of segmented bones, to which the skull, ribs and pelvic bones are attached. An adult spine is composed of 26 vertebrae held together by intervertebral discs that act as a ligament to hold the vertebrae together. The vertebral column presents several curves, which correspond to the different regions of the column, and are called cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and pelvic. The cervical vertebrae in between the neck and head has seven segments. Muscle tissue, tendons and ligaments envelope and prop up the spine.

Typically, the causes of neck injuries are due to an intense force that constricts the spine to the shoulders or during mishaps that forcefully jolts the head back and forth. Commonly known as whiplash, the back and forth whipping of the head is an injury that implicates the muscles and ligaments rather than the skeleton. Out of five people involved in car accidents, one ends up with this kind of ache in the neck. Whiplash can cause damage as well to the intervertebral joints, discs, ligaments, cervical muscles and nerve roots. Whiplash is commonly associated with motor vehicle accidents, usually when the vehicle has been hit in the rear. It may also happen in other modes of vehicular accidents and sports.

You will understand how the pain occurs instantaneously after the collision if you have obtained a whiplash injury before. You are aware that hardness of the muscles, soreness of the shoulder, and back aches also occur. Giddiness, headaches, crankiness, difficulty in ingesting food are some of the symptoms associated with whiplash. Additional symptoms of whiplash may include pain between the shoulder blades, in the shoulders, in one or both arms, fatigue, ringing in the ears, vision problems, poor concentration, low back pain, and sleep disturbances.

The good news is whiplash injuries can heal. It takes two to four weeks for most people who have this neck pains to heal. Of course, this all depends on the extent of the injury and the individual. Some remedial actions taken after obtaining whiplash are the placement of a neck collar, muscle pain medication, heat treatment, movement training and physical therapy. The cervical collar may be needed for two to three weeks, and for most patients the pain goes away in two to four weeks. Surely, to speed up recovery, the patient must be properly taken care of with a healthy diet and enough rest so as not to injure the neck again.

If you are involved in a car accident, and suspect of obtaining whiplash injuries, visit your doctor. More than likely you will have to wear a cervical collar for a few weeks, but with proper care and patience, healing can be complete in just a short time.

A car neck pillow is possibly what you require in the event you travel a whole lot. This shields your neck and provides you comfort. At www.safehomeproducts.com, you are able to decide on from a large array of car neck pillows that can fit your needs.

Author's Bio: 

A car neck pillow is possibly what you require in the event you travel a whole lot. This shields your neck and provides you comfort. At www.safehomeproducts.com, you are able to decide on from a large array of car neck pillows that can fit your needs.