A car accident can leave you with a stiff neck and a knotted trapezius for months, and it is harder still when it happens in a country where you do not speak the language. That neck pain and stiffness is what we look at here, in English. Medical reports, sick notes and insurance assessments are not.
What whiplash is
Whiplash is the injury to the structures of the neck when the head is thrown backwards and forwards in a fraction of a second, typically when another car hits you from behind. It affects the muscles, ligaments and joints of the neck.
The first step, always, is a medical assessment at A&E (Urgencias) to rule out a fracture or nerve damage. In Spain that is the hospital emergency department or your local health centre. This page is about what comes after that.
What people often notice in the following weeks
Whiplash pain does not always start on the day of the accident. It is common for the neck to feel stiffer the next morning, or two or three days later, than it did straight after the impact. That does not mean something has got worse: it is how muscles and ligaments react to a sudden stretch.
What we hear most often: it is hard to turn your head to check your blind spot, the trapezius feels hard, like a rope running from the base of the skull to the shoulder, a headache builds at the back of the head by the end of the day, and at night you cannot find a comfortable position.
For most people these symptoms ease over the weeks. When they do not, or when the neck is left turning less than it did before the accident, that is when it makes sense to have it assessed.
What we do not do here
We do not write medico-legal reports or assess lasting damage for an insurer or a court. In Spain that belongs to the forensic doctor (médico forense) and the insurance assessor (perito).
We do not issue or sign off sick notes.
We do not replace an emergency assessment. If the accident was recent and no doctor has seen you yet, that is your first step.
What we do look at
- Neck pain and stiffness when turning your head, which is what limits driving the most.
- Trapezius tension and tightness in the neck and shoulder muscles.
- Headaches that start in the neck.
- Upper back pain from holding the tension for weeks.
- Loss of movement that lingers once anything serious has been ruled out.
Whiplash that has been properly assessed usually improves, and controlled movement helps more than keeping the neck still for a long time. But every case has its own pace, and nobody honest can give you a timescale in advance.
Sleeping and driving with a sore neck
These are the two things people ask about most.
For sleeping, lying on your back or on your side usually works better, with a pillow that fills the gap between shoulder and head without pushing the head up. Sleeping face down keeps the neck fully turned for hours, and that is what loads the trapezius most.
For driving, set the head restraint level with your head, not your neck, and rely on the mirrors while your neck does not turn well. If you cannot look over your shoulder safely, it is not a good time to drive, especially an unfamiliar hire car on unfamiliar roads.
None of this replaces what the emergency department or your own doctor has told you.
When to go back to the doctor, not to us
Go back to A&E if you notice weakness in an arm, numbness that does not go away, changes in your vision or speech, severe dizziness, or if the pain is getting worse instead of settling.
How the first visit works
You will see José De San Juan Guerrero, D.C., Doctor of Chiropractic and a registered physiotherapist in Spain, with more than 25 years in practice in central Málaga. The whole visit can be in English.
We start by listening: how the accident happened, what you were told at the hospital, which tests were done and what you are finding hard today. Then comes the physical examination and the postural analysis, and an explanation of what we found before anyone touches you. Bring your reports and any X-rays or scans, even if they are in Spanish.
Why come, even when an insurer or another specialist is handling your case
After an accident abroad, your case has many owners: the hospital, your GP, your insurer back home, the Spanish insurer, the assessor, sometimes a lawyer. Each of them handles their own part, and it is easy for nobody to take care of whether you can turn your neck to reverse out of a parking space.
That part is ours. What we work on is movement: getting the neck joints that have stiffened to move again, and letting the trapezius and the muscles that have been guarding them for weeks stop doing so. That does not heal the injury or speed up any claim, and we will not sell it to you as if it did. But moving with less pain changes your day: sleeping without waking when you turn over, driving with a proper look over your shoulder, getting through an afternoon at a screen without your neck making you pay for it.
If at the first visit we see that you need something else, more tests, another specialist, or a return to the doctor, we will tell you that same day. We would rather tell you than let you waste time and money. And that is exactly why you can trust what we do tell you.
Frequently asked questions
How soon after the accident can I come?
As soon as a doctor has ruled out anything serious. There is no need to wait until the pain becomes chronic, and it is not too late if months have passed.
Do I need a referral?
No. But do bring your A&E reports and any tests you have had: they save time and questions.
Do you write reports for the insurer or for court?
No. We do not write medico-legal reports or assess lasting damage. That belongs to the forensic doctor and the assessor.
Can I come while an insurer is still processing the accident?
Yes. What we do in the clinic is separate from that process.
I am only in Málaga for a few weeks. Is it worth coming?
Yes, if the stiffness is limiting you now. At the first visit we will be clear about what can reasonably be done in the time you have here.
Book your first visit · Chiropractor in central Málaga, in English · C/ Córdoba 6 · +34 629 245 594 · WhatsApp
Esta página también está disponible en español: Latigazo cervical en Málaga.
This clinic works on musculoskeletal complaints of the spine and joints. We do not diagnose or treat systemic, respiratory, autoimmune, metabolic or neurological disease, and we do not replace prescribed medical treatment. If you have a diagnosis of that kind, your specialist is the one who manages it.
