Whiplash Recovery Series – Part 3: Sensory Disturbances Explained

Welcome to part three of our Whiplash Recovery Series. In this section, we’re exploring a complex but crucial topic: sensory disturbances after whiplash.

Many people associate whiplash with neck pain or headaches, but what’s often missed are the subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) changes in our sensory system that can occur when the brain and nervous system are shaken by trauma. As a practitioner focused on neurological recovery and whiplash, I see this often, and it’s a key piece of the recovery puzzle.

These symptoms can be very distressing and build on themselves.

What Is the Sensory System?

The sensory system is far more advanced than just taste, smell, or hearing. It plays a major role in how we move, balance, and interact with our environment. The brain’s sensory regions are responsible for:

• Detecting different types of touch (light vs. deep pressure)

• Coordinating head and eye movements

• Maintaining spatial awareness (so you don’t have to watch your feet while walking)

• Processing signals from muscles and joints about your body’s position in space

This system is always working in the background. It’s fast, adaptive, and intelligent, just like a high-powered computer. But when the system is disrupted, such as after a whiplash injury, the results can be confusing and uncomfortable.  If it were a computer, it is running a bit slower than usual. 

Let’s break down some of the most common sensory issues that can arise after a whiplash event.

1. Visual Disturbances

Visual changes can appear immediately or develop gradually over time. These may include:

• Flashes of light

• Floaters or “visual static” in your field of vision

• Sensitivity to light

• Changes in colour perception or depth

Clinician’s Insight: Years ago, after sustaining a concussion/whiplash injury myself, I woke up to a world that had turned green. Literally. Everything had a green hue, a bizarre but memorable example of how the sensory part of the brain tries to recalibrate after impact.

These kinds of visual symptoms suggest dysregulation in the brain’s visual processing centers.  Particularly in areas responsible for spatial orientation and motion tracking.

2. Dizziness and Body Misperception

There’s a difference between vertigo and body misperception:

• Vertigo is the sensation that the room is spinning when you’re not.

• Body misperception feels like floating, rocking, or feeling “off-balance”.  Almost like you’re on a boat.

Both can occur following whiplash and often point to dysfunction in the vestibular system, cervical spine, or the way your brain integrates sensory input from multiple sources.

These symptoms can be deeply unsettling, but they are treatable once the root cause is identified. A thorough neurological assessment can help pinpoint which systems are misfiring and how to retrain them.

3. Tinnitus (Ringing or Fullness in the Ears)

Tinnitus is surprisingly common after whiplash. It may present as:

• Ringing, buzzing, or high-pitched sounds

• A sense of fullness or pressure in one or both ears

• Intermittent or constant sensitivity to noise

The auditory system is highly sensitive to changes in pressure, inflammation, and neurological stress, all of which can occur after a whiplash injury.

Try to note:

• Which ear is affected (left, right, or both)

• What triggers or worsens the symptoms

This detail helps your provider map out which parts of the brainstem or sensory cortex may be involved.

4. Tingling, Heaviness, and Sensory “Noise”

Some of the more subtle, but no less important, symptoms include:

• Tingling or numbness in the limbs or face

• A sensation of heaviness in the head or body

• Transient muscle weakness without a clear orthopedic cause

These often indicate that the brain is having trouble filtering and interpreting sensory signals correctly. Think of it like static on a radio station.  The signal is there, but the brain is struggling to tune in clearly.

So, What’s Really Happening?

These symptoms are not random. They are your nervous system’s alarm signals, letting you know it’s trying to reorient after trauma.

Your sensory system is essentially in overdrive, working overtime to make sense of altered input. It may overshoot, undershoot, or misinterpret incoming data. That’s why symptoms can feel strange or disconnected from the injury itself.

The good news? The brain can re-wire. With the right evaluation and treatment approach, particularly through neurologically informed rehab, these disturbances can improve significantly.

What You Can Do

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms after a whiplash injury, take them seriously:

• Track them: write down what you feel, when, and what makes it better or worse

• Be specific: the more detail you can share with your provider, the better they can localize the problem.  Nothing is “unrelated”.

• Seek a provider who understands the brain-body connection: not just the musculoskeletal side.  However, integrative care might be the best approach.

Final Thought

Your brain is constantly communicating with you. After a whiplash injury, those messages may come through distorted — as light flashes, ringing ears, or balance issues. But they are messages nonetheless. With the right support, they can guide both you and your provider toward full recovery.