Question
Four days ago I banged my forehead while reaching into my van.  When I hit my head, I felt my neck pop or snap.  It hurt immediately. The next day the pain was severe. A chiropractor friend of a friend gave me two xrays (side view and front view).  The worst pain is in lower neck near shoulders.  There is a spot that is extremely painful to the touch (feels like the bone hurts, not muscle).  There is also swelling in that area and muscle pain and tingling in neck, shoulders, and middle back.  Also dizziness, headache, and nausea.  The spot with most pain was not on the front view xray and there was too much swelling to see it on the side view of xray.  Doc looked at xrays briefly and said I have whiplash.  I can somewhat function normally with pain while taking 800 mg ibupropen.  Without ibupropen the pain gets extremely severe.  Is it possible that that chiropractor missed a fracture?

Answer
Chel,

You have classic symptoms of neck sprain/strain and mild concussion, very similar to whiplash.  The irritated neck joints refer to the upper back by your shoulder blade.  The rattling of your brain against your skull also causes the dizziness and nausea.   While it is possible for xrays to miss a fracture, and CT or MRI can detect it, it is very likely not necessary.   If two doctors don't think you have a fracture, you likely just need some treatment by the chiropractor.  Ibuprophen doesn't fix this...

'Hope this helps.

Dr. G