The injury mechanism Whiplash is not an injury, whiplash is an injury mechanism, originally used to describe the rapid movement of the head and neck in relation to the trunk of the body in rear-end collisions. The head and neck move back and forth like a whip within a few milliseconds, and the cervical spine, reacting to the inertia of the head can be injured.
Injuries can also occur to other parts of the body.
The term 'Whiplash' was used for the first time by Crowe as early as 1928. It is sometimes used to describe the symptoms which may follow the actual whiplash. This may cause confusion as the injury mechanism is mixed up with the injuries and the symptoms. Moreover, many symptoms can be seen and similar symptoms can occur after other types of accidents, such as a fall on the shoulder. The injury mechanism is not quite clear.