Diagnosis
In particular, if unconsciousness, memory loss, nausea and/or vomiting occur, the patient should consult the doctor immediately. The doctor will try to take a medical history as part of the diagnosis, in the course of which the patient will explain the “accident” and the accompanying symptoms. Subsequently, in the case of whiplash, the physician will arrange for a physical examination to determine the exact extent of the illness and, if necessary, confirm or negate more extensive diseases, such as injuries to the spine with bone involvement or cranial and brain injuries.
In order to be able to assess this accurately, the cervical spine is x-rayed in the vast majority of cases. In particular, any bony involvement of the cervical spine can be detected and diagnosed. If there is a suspicion that the ligamentous structures of the cervical spine are also involved, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical spine can be used as an additional imaging procedure in addition to the X-ray image.
However, magnetic resonance imaging is not a standard procedure for such a disease. Only in exceptional cases and with regard to the suspicion described above can an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the cervical spine provide further information. In addition to the physical and radiological examination, the nerve status should always be checked.
Eye mobility is also of great importance in whiplash injuries, as it can possibly provide indications of a concussion. This is especially the case in cases where the head was not only “thrown” twice jerkily in different movements, but the head was also slammed against an object. The examination of the physical stature, the preparation of an X-ray image, as well as the examination of nerve status, eye mobility and the organ of equilibrium are routinely part of the delimitation of the clinical picture.In cases where an injury to the nervous system cannot be excluded, further diagnostic measures may be necessary.
Such examinations include neurological examinations such as the measurement of nerve conduction velocity (NLG), electromyography (EMG) or an MRI of the cervical spine. MRIs ́s are primarily performed when there are indications of soft tissue injuries. In rare cases, it may be necessary to visualize the brain by means of MRI or CT, an ultrasound examination of the great cervical artery or a cerebrospinal fluid diagnosis (examination of the cerebrospinal fluid).
These examinations are only used in exceptional cases, which is why they will not be discussed further here. In addition to the physical and radiological examination, the nerve status should always be checked. Eye mobility is also of great importance in whiplash injury, as it may provide indications of a concussion.
This is especially the case in cases where the head was not only “thrown” twice in different movements, but the head was also slammed against an object. The examination of the physical stature, the preparation of an X-ray image, as well as the examination of nerve status, eye mobility and the organ of equilibrium are routinely part of the delimitation of the clinical picture. In cases where an injury to the nervous system cannot be excluded, further diagnostic measures may be necessary.
Such examinations include neurological examinations such as the measurement of nerve conduction velocity (NLG), electromyography (EMG) or an MRI of the cervical spine. MRIs ́s are primarily performed when there are indications of soft tissue injuries. In rare cases, it may be necessary to visualize the brain by means of MRI or CT, an ultrasound examination of the great cervical artery or a cerebrospinal fluid diagnosis (examination of the cerebrospinal fluid). These examinations are only used in exceptional cases, which is why they will not be discussed further here. The figure illustrates the chronological sequence of a whiplash cervical spinal distortion in a rear-end collision.