History Of Whiplash Injury. Have Popping In Back Of Head, Pain, Stiffness. How To Prevent Condition From Worsening?

Posted on Wed, 21 Aug 2013

Question: Hi, so back in 2008, I was rear-ended at a stoplight by a good 20-30mph vehicle, resulting in a whiplash. The doctor at the time said that I was to have chronic pain for the rest of my life, though until this week, I had no further pain or stiffness. It was in the middle of the night a couple nights ago when I felt a 'pop' sound in the back of my head and mild pain for several or so minutes. Since then I've had a couple XXXXXXX 'pops' around where the larger one was, and the condition of the stiffness worsened slightly more. I know I need to work on better posture, but is there any means to halt the condition from worsening?

Answered by Dr. Rahul D Chaudhari (19 minutes later)

Thanks for writing yo us.
Post whiplash injury back pain is common. Most likely pop sound may be due to muscle snapping along the bony structures. I would suggest to get cervical spine xray to rule out spine issue. If possible get lateral flexion and extension view.
In the long run the muscle stiffness can be reduced with regular neck and shoulder stretching exercise. Thanks.

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar