Judy
Most injuries to the neck caused by an auto accident are soft tissue related,meaning the muscles and tendons.Soft tissue injuries do not show up on x-rays or on an MRI. I am suffering from the same problem.I have gotten some relief from myofacial P.T. Your doctor may also want to try you on muscle relaxants for a while. I have been told by my therapist that it may take months until I feel signifigant relief. It all depends on how much damage was done to the soft tissue.Heat and ice also will give you some temporary relief.Use for only 15 minutes at a time. Myofacial physical theraphy is a specialized type of P.T. used to relax the soft tissue and realign the spine. It is more gentle than regular P.T. and I have found it to have much better results.