Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask questions about the event and your symptoms. You also may be asked questions that help your doctor understand how severe your symptoms are and how often they occur. Your doctor will also want to know how well you can perform normal everyday tasks.

Examination

During the exam your doctor will need to touch and move your head, neck and arms. You will be asked to move and perform simple tasks so that your doctor can check the:

• Range of motion in your neck and shoulders
• Degree of motion that causes pain or an increase in pain
• Tenderness in your neck, shoulders or back
• Reflexes, strength and sensation in your limbs

Imaging tests

A whiplash injury isn't apparent on imaging tests. But your doctor will likely order one or more imaging tests to rule out other conditions that could be making your neck pain worse. Imaging tests include:

• X-rays. Fractures, dislocations or arthritis can be identified by X-rays of the neck taken from many angles.
• Computerized tomography (CT). This special type of X-ray can produce cross-sectional images of bone and show possible bone damage.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This imaging test uses radio waves and a magnetic field to produce detailed 3D images. In addition to bone injuries, MRI scans can detect some soft tissue injuries, such as damage to the spinal cord, disks or ligaments.