What to expect from anti-inflammatory medication for whiplash

Whiplash can strain muscles, ligaments, and other soft tissues in the neck. An anti-inflammatory medicine may reduce the chemical irritation that contributes to soreness, making gentle movement more comfortable. It may not remove stiffness immediately, and relief can vary with the injury and the medicine used. Follow the label or your clinician’s instructions rather than combining products without checking their ingredients. Some medicines can irritate the stomach or affect the kidneys, blood pressure, or other conditions.

Take the medicine only as directed and tell the prescriber about ulcers, kidney disease, heart or blood-pressure problems, asthma triggered by pain medicines, pregnancy, allergies, and all other medicines or supplements. Keep neck movement gentle; short walks and prescribed exercises are often more useful than prolonged bed rest. Heat or cold may help some people, with a cloth barrier for skin protection. If symptoms are not settling, arrange a review so the treatment plan can be adjusted.

Seek urgent medical care after a neck injury for new weakness, numbness spreading into an arm or leg, trouble walking, loss of bladder or bowel control, severe or worsening headache, repeated vomiting, fainting, confusion, or difficulty speaking. Contact a clinician promptly for pain that keeps worsening, medicine-related stomach bleeding symptoms, facial swelling, breathing difficulty, or a rash.

Ask which medicine suits your health history, whether you should take it with food, how long to use it, which medicines to avoid together, and when to begin or progress neck exercises.