You were stopped at a light on Montague Road and someone went into the back of you at twenty. You felt fine at the scene. You woke up the next morning barely able to turn your head.
That sequence is so typical it is almost diagnostic, and understanding why it happens takes most of the fear out of it.
Why day two is worse than day one
Adrenaline at the scene, and the inflammatory response peaking over the following twenty-four to forty-eight hours. The injury did not get worse overnight; your body’s response to it arrived. Almost everyone with whiplash reports this, and almost everyone finds it alarming.
Collars fell out of favour for a reason
Soft collars were standard for decades. When they were properly studied, the evidence went the other way: people who kept the neck moving within comfort did better than people who immobilised it. Rest is intuitive here and it is the wrong instinct.
That does not mean pushing through pain. It means early, gentle movement rather than protection — and getting assessed sooner rather than waiting to see whether it settles.
What we do in the first fortnight
Assess properly, including screening for the things that need a doctor rather than a physiotherapist. Then reassurance grounded in what we actually found, hands-on treatment for the joints and muscles that are irritable, and movement restored as early as it is safe.
Headaches starting at the base of the skull are common with whiplash and usually settle alongside the neck. If they are the dominant symptom, our page on neck pain and headaches covers what that usually involves.
The CTP claim, in plain terms
In Queensland, treatment for injuries from a motor vehicle accident is generally covered by the at-fault vehicle’s CTP insurer. What we need from you is a claim number. Once you have one, we bill the insurer directly and you are not out of pocket.
Claim numbers take time to come through. In the meantime you are welcome to pay privately — those sessions are typically reimbursed once the claim is approved, and starting treatment early matters more than waiting for paperwork.
When it does not settle
Most whiplash settles over several weeks. A minority persists, and that group responds to a structured strengthening program rather than to more passive treatment. If you are three months in and still sore, more massage is not the answer — capacity is.
Forge West End is at Unit 4, 249 Montague Road, West End. Book online or call 07 3844 0686 — we are open from 6am Monday to Friday.