Summary
The whiplash injury of the cervical spine, which is usually caused by rear-end collisions, is an injury to the surrounding soft tissue structures, accompanied by muscle tension, ligament strains and the resulting movement restrictions and pain. In contrast to the conventional long immobilization, mobilization and loosening exercises are now started at an early stage in order to achieve a positive result as quickly as possible. When educating the patient, it should be made clear to him or her that the symptoms do not come from a more serious brain injury, but only from the affected soft tissues, such as the muscles here.
The patient should also avoid unphysiological relieving postures from the very beginning. Depending on the consultation with the doctor, the neck and head may and should be moved to a certain extent instead of being held rigidly and calmly in one position to avoid further tension. In physiotherapy, the individual head movements – flexion, extension, lateral inclination and rotation – are relearned slowly and guided until the patient feels more and more secure and is able to perform the movements again within the pain-free range and to a normal extent.
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