This is caused by an impact to the head, which the person then tries to stop. It is not only car accidents that involvement whiplash injuries, although this does account for a lot of whiplash accidents. The impact can be at the side, front, or the back. The injury will be on the opposite side to the impact.

Acupuncture treatment is very effective for whiplash injuries. If the patient comes on the same day as the accident then one treatment may be sufficient.

Often patients come for acupuncture treatment several days or even weeks after the accident. In these cases more treatment will be necessary, although I would expect to see an improvement after each acupuncture session.

If the whiplash is left untreated then our bodies frequently adjust so that we are pain-free. There will be an adjustment in the spine to accommodate for this, provided that the spine can accommodate this adjustment. It is true to say that the musculo-skeletal system is holding the trauma of the accident. This can become problematic later on in life and may manifest in headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, or if the whole spine becomes affected then even the lower back can become involved.

Footballers can also suffer whiplash type injuries from 'heading' the football on their forehead. This can cause damage in the upper cervical joints and muscles.

Case History - Girl aged 9

This patient was in a lot of pain following a fall from a horse. When she came into the clinic her head was tilted to one side. She was tearful during the first session of acupuncture, although her mother was there to comfort her. On her second visit she was smiling again and she was not bothered about the acupuncture needles. She was completely cured of her painful neck after 4 sessions, treated twice weekly.