That Ringing in Your Ears Could Be a Sign of Whiplash

Your neck is the most flexible part of your spine. This flexibility also makes it more susceptible to injuries like whiplash, the forceful back and forth movement of your head. 

Symptoms from whiplash vary in type and severity. About 10% of people develop problems related to their ears, like ringing in the ears. 

At Apple Wellness Center, we specialize in diagnosing and treating spine injuries like whiplash. Our chiropractor, Michael Pasternack, DC, understands the many symptoms whiplash injuries cause, even those due to minor accidents.

If you have ringing in your ears following a car accident, sports injury, or traumatic fall, you might have whiplash.

That ringing in your ears

When you hear sounds like ringing, buzzing, or roaring that don’t come from an outside source, you have tinnitus. The phantom sound is sometimes soft or loud and, in most cases, only lasts a few seconds or a few minutes.

But some people have recurring or constant tinnitus that affects their day-to-day life. You can develop tinnitus from a wide range of causes, like hearing loss, too much wax in your ears, or a head injury like whiplash.

Whiplash and tinnitus

With a whiplash injury, you may expect neck pain and stiffness. But this spine injury causes a wide range of symptoms from headaches to fatigue. 

Whiplash and its symptoms aren’t well understood, which may explain why tinnitus seems like an odd symptom to have after a whiplash injury. But it’s common and a symptom you shouldn’t ignore.

Researchers are still investigating the link between whiplash and tinnitus, but they theorize that the trauma-linked symptom may develop because of injuries to the auditory neural pathways in the spinal cord or brain.

Treating your whiplash

Not too long ago, a cervical collar to prevent movement of the neck was the primary treatment for whiplash. But with advances in medical knowledge, we now know gentle stretching and movement of the neck is the best approach to ease whiplash symptoms.

For our whiplash patients, we customize care based on the severity of the injury and symptoms. In addition to gentle stretching and movement of your neck, we may also recommend:

• Activity modification
• Heat and ice
• Massage therapy
• Short-term use of a cervical collar
• Physical therapy procedures 

The goal of our whiplash treatment is to support your body’s natural healing process to ease your symptoms and prevent long-term problems. Recovery following a whiplash injury varies. Some people get better in a few days, others in a few weeks.

The one thing that might delay your recovery, though, is ignoring your symptoms. If you have ringing in your ears after an accident, you may have whiplash. 

Don’t ignore these signs. We can help you heal from your injury. Call our office or click the book online button to schedule an appointment at our Winchester, Virginia, office today.