I have been wounded in the neck before, a whiplash from a car crash and an injury from, believe it or not, a basketball at extreme velocity to the back of my head. Though the incidents were neither pleasing, I have recovered from it.

The spine is a flexible, vertical column of segmented bones, to which the skull, ribs and pelvic bones are attached. The adult spine consists of 26 vertebrae connected by cartilaginous disc and ligaments. These vertebrae are divided into four regions according to the curves of the back - cervical spine (neck), thoracic spine (middle) lumbar (lower) and pelvic. In the region of the neck, connecting to the skull, are seven cervical vertebrae. As support, the spine is enclosed in muscle tissues, tendons and ligaments.

Typically, the causes of neck injuries are due to an intense force that constricts the spine to the shoulders or during mishaps that forcefully jolts the head back and forth. Commonly known as whiplash, the back and forth whipping of the head is an injury that implicates the muscles and ligaments rather than the skeleton. One in five people injured in car accidents end up with this type of neck pain. Injuries to the intervertebral joints, discs, ligaments, cervical muscles and nerve roots can also be attributed to whiplash. This type of injury is usually caused by a rear-ended car crash, but can also occur in sports, and other types of car crashes.

You will understand how the pain occurs instantaneously after the collision if you have obtained a whiplash injury before. Pains occurring in the shoulder and back, and stiffening of the muscles may also happen. Other warning signs of whiplash are fainting(symptomatic of a concussion), throbbing of the head, crankiness, hard time ingesting food(involving esophagus and larynx), and numbness. More symptoms of whiplash are pains between the shoulder blades, in the shoulders, in one or both arms, weariness, ringing in the ears, eyesight troubles, easily gets distracted, lower back pains and sleeping disorders.

Here's the good part, whiplash can be cured. Nearly all who got injured with whiplash got cured within two to four weeks. Surely, the healing process depends on the level of damage and the victim itself. Remedies for whiplash may include placing a cervical collar, use of heat therapy to relive muscle pain and tension, administering pain relievers, series of movement exercises and physical therapy. The cervical collar may be needed for two to three weeks, and for most patients the pain goes away in two to four weeks. Actually, a healthy diet paired with sufficient rest will result to a speedy recovery. Proper treatment is also needed so as not to repeat the damage on the neck.

If you suspect of having whiplash after a car crash, seek medical attention. Almost certainly, you'll have to put on a neck collar for a few weeks. Nevertheless, with proper attention and self-control, you'll heal in no time.