If you've been in a car crash where you were hit by a car from behind, you may have whiplash.
Usually the symptoms are pain around the neck and shoulder area, although the severity of pain varies greatly according to many different factors.
It's difficult to tell how long the pain will last and it depends to a large extent on how severe the crash was.
Usually it can take anywhere from between one to three months for pain to clear up completely, and if you still have pain after this time you should visit your GP who'll be able to advise you on the best course of action.
Sometimes GP's will decide that you would benefit from visiting a specialist such as sports massage therapist, chiropractor or other professional.
In some cases of whiplash these can help you to recover completely in a shorter time, or at least make sure that you fully heal.
You don't want the injury to drag on because it hasn't healed properly.
You can go directly to these therapists but always make sure they are fully accredited.
A GP will be able to advise you which would be safe to visit.
Whiplash is a difficult injury to treat, but is usually heals fully.
In the most severe cases this can take up to and over a year, but in minor cases only a few weeks or less.
Your GP will be able to advise you when and what treatment to start, so you should visit them as soon as possible.