How long does a typical whiplash injury take to heal?
It depends. First of all, there is no such thing as a typical whiplash injury. There are so many different variables (see risk factors, below) involved in a collision that it’s not uncommon for two people to be in the same vehicle, and suffer different degrees of injury. Therefore, the healing time also varies greatly. Some people who have experienced a rear-end collision may suffer symptoms for just a few hours. Most people seem to recover in around six weeks. But the medical literature consistently shows that a significant percentage of people — around one out of three experience some kind of long-term symptoms after a crash. What’s the best way to treat a whiplash injury? It depends on the severity of the injury and the patient’s needs. Very few whiplash injuries require surgical treatment or a hospital stay, but many whiplash patients go the emergency room as their first treatment, especially if the collision was severe. Drugs are often prescribed for whiplash patients, and they c
