There are many factors that affect the severity and length of whiplash symptoms. Your age, your gender, even your physical condition and posture play a vital role. As you get older, you start to lose flexibility and strength in your neck. When this happens, your neck can't handle the strain from an auto accident as well as it once could.
Statistically, women experience whiplash more than men. This is primarily due to the fact that men have stronger neck muscles and women have smaller neck bones. Poor posture at the time of the accident can worsen the whiplash injury. If you are a smoker, the healing process can be prolonged. Each of these factors alone or combined can have a major impact on how severe your whiplash injury will be or the length of time it may take to recover.