AAH Infographic Spells Out Effects and Extent of RTA Whiplash Injuries

LONDON, May 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

One of the most common injuries suffered by those involved in road traffic accidents is whiplash. According to the infographic created by Accident Advice Helpline, whiplash injuries can even occur in low speed accidents.

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140725/698073 )

The infographic, published by law firm Accident Advice Helpline, is aimed at educating the public about whiplash, how it is caused, and the symptoms and treatment involved. It also highlights the fact that whiplash is a real injury which can disrupt lives and not just a minor inconvenience which happens after an accident.

Whiplash is actually an injury to the neck. It is a result of a violent movement of the head forwards, backwards or sideways and is caused by a sudden impact, such as in a road traffic accident.

Anyone suffering whiplash is likely to feel the discomfort of neck pain, stiffness, the neck muscles feeling tender and even headaches.

For anyone who has had the misfortune to suffer a road traffic accident it may take anything from around six to 12 hours for the discomfort of whiplash to become apparent. For some the pain and discomfort is not felt until 24-hours after the accident and can even become worse over the next few days.

The effects of whiplash can disappear after a relatively short period of time. According to one study the average recovery time, without complications, is around 32-days.  But some victims, around 12%, suffer "chronic whiplash" or "late whiplash syndrome" where the symptoms are suffered beyond the 6-month mark.

Treatment usually involves the patient being encouraged to regularly move the neck, taking painkillers, physiotherapy, engaging in stretching exercises and maintaining a good posture. Supportive pillows can also be helpful.

The whiplash infographic shows that despite the compensation myth saying that whiplash claims are going up, both the number of claims made, and the number of whiplash claims in fact went down on the last report.

Depending on the severity of the whiplash injury victims can endure pain and suffering for a long period of time and in some cases throughout the rest of their lives. This helps explain why the number of claims for whiplash compensation remains high.

SOURCE Accident Advice Helpline

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