Call 911 or go to an emergency room now if, after a crash, you:
- have a headache that gets worse and does not go away, vomit repeatedly, or have slurred speech [1]
- are confused, restless or agitated, cannot recognize people or places, or look very drowsy or cannot be woken up [1]
- have one pupil larger than the other, or convulsions or a seizure [1]
- have weakness, numbness or decreased coordination [1], or weakness or numbness in both legs that is severe or getting worse [3]
- lose control of your bladder or bowels, or have numbness around or under your genitals or around your anus [2] [3]
- have chest pain [2], shortness of breath that is getting worse, or are coughing up blood [4]
Sources: the CDC's danger signs after a concussion [1], the NHS pages on back pain [2], sciatica [3] and rib injuries [4]. The NHS also lists back pain or a rib injury that started with a serious accident, such as a car accident, as a reason to call emergency services [2] [4]. Don't drive yourself. A chiropractic office is not an emergency room.
What a crash does to the neck
In a collision, especially a rear-end crash, the body is held by the seat and belt while the head keeps moving, quickly in one direction and then back. That is the whiplash mechanism. It can strain the muscles, ligaments and joints of the neck, and sometimes the upper back and shoulders with it. A side impact moves the head sideways instead; see side-impact and seatbelt injuries.
Symptoms don't always start at the scene. They can show up in the hours or days after a crash, so it helps to keep notes from the start.
What to write down
None of these items is scored, and no combination of them tells you what you have. They are what an examiner will ask about. Write down what you notice and the day it started.
- Neck pain or stiffness: where it is, whether one side or both, and what makes it better or worse.
- Turning your head: how far you can turn to each side, look up and look down, and where it stops.
- Headaches: where they start (for example at the base of the skull), how often, and whether they are changing. See headaches after a car accident.
- Arms and hands: any numbness, tingling, pins and needles, or weakness, such as trouble gripping.
- Shoulders and upper back: pain between the shoulder blades or across the top of the shoulders.
- Dizziness, trouble concentrating, feeling foggy, or being bothered by light or noise. The CDC lists these among the symptoms of a concussion [1]; if you hit your head or have them, a medical doctor should evaluate you.
- Sleep: whether pain wakes you or keeps you from getting comfortable.
- Daily life: what you can't do now that you could before the crash, such as driving, lifting, working or sleeping through the night.
- The crash itself: the type of collision, where you were sitting, whether you were braced or turned, and whether your head hit anything.
The post-accident symptom checklist has a printable version of this list with a symptom log.
Why this page doesn't give a grade
Clinicians sometimes describe whiplash with grades. A grade comes from an examination: range of motion measured, muscles and joints examined, and a neurological screen of strength, reflexes and sensation. Answering questions about how something feels can't do that, and a "mild" result can be wrong in the direction that matters. So there is no score here, and nothing on this page should be read as saying your symptoms are minor or serious.
More about how the clinic examines and treats neck injuries: whiplash treatment.
The only way to know is an exam
The only way to know is an exam.
A page can tell you what to notice. It can't tell you what is injured or how badly. An exam looks at how you move, where it is tender, and what orthopedic and neurological tests show, and it writes that down with a date. If the exam calls for imaging or for medical specialists, the clinic refers you out.
Auto insurance, MedPay, PIP, and liens accepted.
Oakland Accident Care is a chiropractic clinic in downtown Oakland that sees only people hurt in motor vehicle collisions, with Dr. Ben Glass and Dr. Irina Velichko, in English, Spanish or Russian. The clinic holds same-day appointment slots for new accident patients. To ask for a call back, use the form on Apply for Care; this page has no form and sends nothing.
Related pages
Sources
- CDC, "Symptoms of Mild TBI and Concussion" (page dated Sept. 15, 2025). Read October 5, 2026.
- NHS, "Back pain" (last reviewed March 5, 2026). Read October 5, 2026.
- NHS, "Sciatica" (last reviewed December 3, 2024). Read October 5, 2026.
- NHS, "Broken or bruised ribs" (last reviewed January 10, 2024). Read October 6, 2026.
This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose, score or rate anything, and it collects nothing. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911.