Whiplash is a neck injury due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, like the cracking of a whip. Whiplash is commonly caused by rear-end car accidents. But whiplash can also result from sports accidents, physical abuse and other types of traumas, such as a fall. The long-term effects of whiplash can include chronic pain and stiffness in the neck and shoulders, ongoing bouts of dizziness, ringing in the ears that is constant or comes and goes.