1. Arm Pain is Common
The nerves in your neck send information to your arms, so a neck sprain will irritate these nerves and send pain signals to your arms, hands or fingers. You may feel tingling or numbness in your arm or your arm may feel heavy or tired. This may last a few days or weeks, depending on the severity of the sprain. See a doctor if you experience significant or lingering weakness in your arm or hand.
2. Pain May Occur Days Later
If you were in a car accident and suffered whiplash, you may not feel the pain in your neck until hours or days later. As inflammation sets in, so does the pain. If you think you have a neck sprain, use precautions to avoid further injury. Use ice and avoid strenuous activity. Seeing a doctor or chiropractor when suffering from pain stemming from a car accident is highly advisable.
3. Sprain vs. Strain
A sprain is an overstretching of a ligament, which connects two bones together. A strain is an overstretching of a muscle or tendon, which connects a muscle to a bone. Small tears occur in the tissue, which will heal with scar tissue over time. Ligaments are not as elastic as tendons, so the connection may become looser once the area heals.
4. Put Ice on Your Neck
After a whiplash, or any injury where you hurt your neck, put an ice pack on it as soon as possible. Do this even if you don't feel a lot of pain right away. Ice helps to reduce inflammation and swelling, which is the source of a lot of pain. Wrap an ice pack, or a bag of frozen peas if that's all you have, in a towel. Place it on the back of your neck for 20 minutes, take it off for 40 minutes, and repeat until the pain is lessened.
5. They Can Occur in Unusual Ways
People have suffered neck sprains after riding roller coasters at amusement parks, so think twice before searching for your next thrill ride if you're not physically fit to ride it. Children have also suffered neck sprain injuries from being shoved in the back by another child. Many sports, such as gymnastics, cheerleading and soccer, place athletes at increased risk for neck sprains because the exercises or movements they perform on a regular basis can easily cause injuries. Athletes of any age will benefit from off-season conditioning to protect their neck. A strong neck will greatly decrease the risk for neck sprains.
