If you have recently been diagnosed with whiplash, there’s a good chance that a car accident was the cause of whiplash in your individual case. Whiplash is one of the most common outcomes associated with vehicle accidents in San Diego and elsewhere.

Researchers in the Netherlands and Germany have discovered that symptoms of whiplash that may be experienced years after a car crash but were previously difficult to identify in tests could be the result of changes in the posture and pain processing centers in the brain, as shared in EBioMedicine. Changes in blood flow show there’s a close interaction between the brain and neck and the researchers believe that such findings could help in the process of diagnosing chronic whiplash.

When it comes to determining the cause of whiplash, this condition is nearly always associated with a vehicle accident due to the head being thrown backwards and forwards during a collision. Far too often, however, victims don’t end up getting medical help because the accident happened at low speed. Most people end up skipping the ER or a doctor’s visit because they write off the accident as minor. Just a few hours or days after the accident, though, these same victims will notice issues of pain in their neck, head, and jaw. Referred to as whiplash-associated disorder, this condition is very challenging to diagnose.

Chronic whiplash can make life unbearable. Even after the initially severe pain subsides, a chronic whiplash sufferer may struggle to get through the day when the symptoms appear. The whiplash pain can appear suddenly and without any obvious triggers, making it impossible for the victim to fully move on with his or her life. Thankfully, sometime who has sustained an injury in an accident like this may be able to pursue a personal injury claim to recover compensation. This compensation may be used to assists with medical bills or the other expenses associated with a serious accident. If a car accident was your cause of whiplash, you may be entitled to file a legal claim.