# Realistic Recovery time from Whiplash, etc...



## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

Did a major endo during an XC race yesterday. Head hit (helmet broke on impact), face hit (two broken teeth, contusions on cheek/temple/top of head), right shoulder smashed into the ground, right thigh has a deep bruise. I was very fortunate that the neck/head injury wasn't worse than it was.

Here it is 30 hours after the crash and my neck is really stiff/sore. Ibuprofen and ice have been the treatment and will continue until I hit the 48 hour mark tomorrow. Teeth will be repaired tomorrow.

My question is how long is a typical face plant/head hit resulting "whiplash" going to take to heal? What I've read says that the first 72 hours is when the neck is the "stiffest", but it does currently hurt to yawn, swallow, cough, etc... 

Any thoughts?

BB


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## 411898 (Nov 5, 2008)

I landed on my head during an uncontrolled tumbling fall down a steep mtn side last November. The force slammed my chin into my chest. Diagnosed with a severe whiplash.

To this day, I am having issues that include stiffness, tenderness and clicking-cracking with most any movement. It's gone through a few phases were it's all but gone but that's not currently the case.

If it's not at least getting better after a few weeks, go see your doctor. I may need to go see mine again...


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

ambassadorhawg said:


> I landed on my head during an uncontrolled tumbling fall down a steep mtn side last November. The force slammed my chin into my chest. Diagnosed with a severe whiplash.
> 
> To this day, I am having issues that include stiffness, tenderness and clicking-cracking with most any movement. It's gone through a few phases were it's all but gone but that's not currently the case.
> 
> If it's not at least getting better after a few weeks, go see your doctor. I may need to go see mine again...


I'm just trying to get through the first 72 hours in hopes that I see a bit of improvement in the stiffness/pain with the neck. Sounds like I am going to have to temper my enthusiasm for the rest of the XC racing season and deal with it properly. Right now, I'm in the R.I.C.E. period.

BB


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

ambassadorhawg said:


> To this day, I am having issues that include stiffness, tenderness and clicking-cracking with most any movement. It's gone through a few phases were it's all but gone but that's not currently the case.


Follow up on the clicking-cracking sound...

I've got that and wonder what it is. Is it bone on bone creaking? I'm now 10 weeks out from the OTB and things have improved week by week. I feel pretty much fully functional at this point, but the stiffness, tenderness, click-crack are still around - but not as bad as a few weeks ago.


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## Old Ray (Sep 5, 2010)

BruceBrown said:


> Follow up on the clicking-cracking sound...
> 
> I've got that and wonder what it is. Is it bone on bone creaking? I'm now 10 weeks out from the OTB and things have improved week by week. I feel pretty much fully functional at this point, but the stiffness, tenderness, click-crack are still around - but not as bad as a few weeks ago.


I'm assuming your doc ordered a c-spine xray series, right?


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## CSC (May 23, 2011)

I got whiplash from a ski race training accident last winter, and was out for a week with a sore/stiff neck. Looking down/up/side-to-side hurt like a #$%&. Back to normal after about 2 weeks, though with some clicking, even today. 
Clicking could be strained tendons/ligaments (pardon my lack of correct anatomical knowledge). If it's still happening, and it's been about 2 months now, you should get it looked at again...though it's a bit late to work on improperly healed bones without surgery.

My knees click and crack all the time from almost 20 years of skiing, mtn biking, etc...parts wear out on humans, too. I might say that a dose of physical therapy would help a lot. Again, get it looked at again, though, before you try to do anything to "help" heal it.


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## jerrysmithly (Oct 16, 2012)

I hope your doing fine now. You should consult a doctor for a whiplash treatment. Asked for a diagnosis so that you will know whether its really a whiplash or something else.


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