How do you get rid of whiplash?

Treating whiplash

Whiplash usually improves over time without specific treatment. Treatment primarily focuses on pain management and reducing symptoms. Your doctor may recommend some of these treatments:

Rest. Immobilization in a neck collar with rest for short periods may be recommended right after a whiplash injury to prevent unnecessary movement and minimize neck pain and stiffness. After that, staying active is usually better than complete bed rest.

Over-the-counter pain relievers. Drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) can relieve mild pain and reduce inflammation associated with whiplash. If these aren't strong enough, your doctor might recommend stronger prescription pain medications.

Muscle relaxants. These medications can relieve the muscle spasms that sometimes happen with whiplash. But use them cautiously, because muscle relaxants can make you drowsy and impair your coordination and judgment.

Ice packs. Applying an ice pack to your neck for up to 20 minutes at a time may help reduce swelling and relieve pain.

Physical therapy. Physical therapy can gently stretch and strengthen the muscles of your neck and upper back. Physical therapists can also teach you exercises that you can do at home to improve flexibility and range of motion in your neck.

Heat therapy. Applying a warm, moist heat pack to your neck may help relax tight or sprained neck muscles.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). A TENS unit is a small device that delivers mild electrical pulses through electrodes placed on your skin over painful areas of your neck. TENS can block the transmission of pain signals to your brain.

Corticosteroid injections. These injections can help reduce swelling and inflammation caused by whiplash.

Surgery. Surgery is rarely required to treat whiplash. It may be considered if you have severe, persistent neck pain or neurological problems, such as weakness in your limbs.