Whiplash Treatment

Self-Care at Home

Home care is intended to relieve the pain and minimize the amount of inflammation in the soft tissues of the neck.

• Apply ice to the neck for 20 minutes at a time each hour for the first 24 hours while awake. Do not apply ice directly to the skin. Place a towel between the ice and the neck. Continue to use ice therapy until the pain stops. (After you see the doctor, follow his or her directions for ice therapy.)
  
  
• Take acetaminophen for pain relief or ibuprofen for anti-inflammatory action. Avoid ibuprofen if you have a past medical history of gastritis, duodenitis, peptic ulcer disease, reflux, or other stomach problems.