The key difference between whiplash and concussion is that whiplash is a neck injury caused due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, while concussion is a brain injury caused due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the brain.
Physical collisions may often cause devastating consequences. Whiplash and concussion are two common physical collision injuries reported after a collision. Both these injuries are due to the acceleration and deceleration of the neck and brain. They may be a result of either low-speed or high-speed physical collisions. They have commonly reported symptoms as well.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Whiplash
3. What is a Concussion
4. Similarities – Whiplash and Concussion
5. Whiplash vs Concussion in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Whiplash vs Concussion
What is Whiplash?
Whiplash is a neck injury that is due to the acceleration and deceleration of the neck. Any impact to the head can cause the head to jerk forward or backward. This triggers a neck strain. The sudden neck strain stretches and tears muscles and tendons in the neck, which ultimately results in whiplash. Whiplash injury can result from different incidents such as auto incidents (rear-end collisions), physical abuse or assault (if someone is punched or shaken), and contact sports (football tackles). The signs and symptoms of whiplash generally include neck pain and stiffness, loss of range of motion in the neck, severe headaches, worsening of pain in neck movement, tenderness in the shoulder, upper back, or arms, numbness in the arms, fatigue, and dizziness. The complications that result from whiplash may include limited range of motion, severe neck pain, and pain that often spreads to the arms.
Whiplash can be diagnosed through physical examination, X-ray, CT scan, and MRI. Furthermore, treatment options for whiplash are pain management (rest, applying heat or cold), over-the-counter pain medications (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, etc.), prescription medications (antidepressants), muscle relaxants, injections (lidocaine), exercise (rotating neck, tilting head, etc.), physical therapy (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and wearing foam collars and alternative medicine (acupuncture, chiropractic care, massage, and mind-body therapy).
What is a Concussion?
A concussion is a brain injury that is due to the acceleration and deceleration of the brain. The common signs and symptoms of concussion are headaches, ringing in the ears, vomiting, fatigue, drowsiness, blurry vision, confusion, amnesia, and dizziness. A concussion can be caused by a violent blow to the head, neck, or upper body and events such as a car crash or being violently shaken. The complications of concussion include post-traumatic headaches, post-traumatic vertigo, persistent post-concussive syndrome, cumulative effects of multiple brain injuries, and second impact syndrome.
Moreover, a concussion can be diagnosed through physical examination, cognitive testing, and imaging testing. Furthermore, concussion is treated through physical and mental rest and pain relief medication (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin).
What are the Similarities Between Whiplash and Concussion?
- Whiplash and concussion are two common physical collision injuries.
- Both these injuries are due to the acceleration and deceleration of the neck and brain.
- They may result from either low-speed or high-speed physical collisions
- They have commonly reported symptoms as well.
- Both these injuries can cause complications.
What is the Difference Between Whiplash and Concussion?
Whiplash is a neck injury, while concussion is a brain injury. Thus, this is the key difference between whiplash and concussion. Furthermore, whiplash is due to the acceleration and deceleration of the neck, while concussion is due to the acceleration and deceleration of the brain.
The below infographic presents the differences between whiplash and concussion in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Whiplash vs Concussion
Physical collisions can be caused by low-speed and high-speed accidents. Whiplash and concussion are two common physical collision injuries. Whiplash is a neck injury caused due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, while concussion is a brain injury caused due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the brain. So, this is the key difference between whiplash and concussion.
Reference:
1. “Whiplash.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
2. “Concussion: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatments, & Recovery.” WebMD.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Whiplash” By BruceBlaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Concussion Anatomy” By Max Andrews – Own work. This file was derived from Concussion mechanics.svg (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia