Question: Can whiplash cause vertigo after a car accident?
After a car accident, many people walk away feeling lucky to have avoided serious injury, only to experience troubling symptoms like dizziness or vertigo later. One common question that arises is: Can whiplash cause vertigo? The answer is yes, whiplash can contribute to vertigo and other types of dizziness. Understanding the connection can help you get the right treatment.
What Is Whiplash?
Whiplash is a neck injury caused by a sudden and forceful back-and-forth motion, often due to rear-end collisions. While it’s commonly associated with pain and stiffness in the neck, whiplash can also lead to a range of neurological and vestibular symptoms—including vertigo and other types of dizziness.
How Whiplash Can Lead to Vertigo
There are several possible ways that whiplash may cause or contribute to vertigo:
Vestibular System Involvement
The vestibular system, which helps control balance and spatial orientation, includes structures in the inner ear and connections through the brainstem and cervical spine. Whiplash can disrupt these pathways by:
- Affecting the cervical spine and nearby nerves that interact with the vestibular system
- Causing misalignment or damage to the cervical system, which alters how your body interprets movement and position
Cervicogenic Dizziness
Dizziness after whiplash may also stem from the neck. When this is the case, it is called cervicogenic dizziness. This is a result of stiff joints in the neck, muscle tightness and/or trigger points, and/or altered joint positioning. Damage to these structures sends confusing signals to the brain about head and body movement. Symptoms from cervicogenic dizziness worsen with neck motion, sustained postures, and/or repetitive head/neck movements.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
A car accident can also trigger BPPV, a condition where tiny crystals in the inner ear become dislodged and interfere with balance. People with BPPV may experience brief episodes of spinning dizziness (vertigo) when they turn their head or change position. These symptoms may appear days or weeks after the accident.
Symptoms to Watch For
If you’ve experienced whiplash, be aware of the following symptoms, which may be related:
- Spinning sensation (vertigo)
- Lightheadedness or unsteadiness
- Nausea or visual disturbances
- Symptoms that worsen with head or neck movement
What You Can Do
If you’re experiencing vertigo or any type of dizziness after a car accident:
- See a doctor who specializes in vestibular or neurological conditions
- Request a vestibular evaluation to assess whether the symptoms are inner ear-related or cervicogenic
- Consider vestibular physical therapy to retrain your balance system and reduce symptoms
- Be patient with your recovery—vestibular symptoms can be slow to heal but often respond well to the right interventions
Bottom Line
Yes, whiplash can cause vertigo and any other symptoms of dizziness, due to the inner ear, the neck, or both. If you’ve been in a car accident and are feeling dizzy or off-balance, don’t ignore it. Early diagnosis is key, and targeted treatment can help you regain your sense of balance and get back to daily life with more confidence.
Reviewed by Denise Schneider, DPT
