More Scientific Studies on Whiplash

Be very careful with whiplash injuries! They may cause very unhealthy side effects. Check out the latest information:
This past year a substantial number of peer reviewed publications addressing whiplash associated disorders (WAD) have appeared in the scientific literature.  These manuscripts examine a broad spectrum of topics. Patients respond favorably to chiropractic management of the initial whiplash symptoms, as well as the long-term effects of WAD, e.g. headache, postural changes and biomechanical problems.  Some of the more important findings of the recent research include the following: Read More→

 Facts on Whiplash

1. In a series of recent human volunteer crash tests of low speed rear impact collisions, it was reported that the threshold for cervical spine soft tissue injury was 5 mph (delta V).
2. Other reports have shown that crashed cars can often withstand collision speeds of 10 mph or more without sustaining damage. Thus: the concept of “no crush, no cash” is simply not valid.
3. Recent epidemiological studies have shown that most injury rear impact accidents occur at crash speeds of 6 mph to 12 mph –the majority at speeds below the threshold for property damage to the vehicle.
4. A number of risk factors in rear impact accident injury have now been verified including: rear (vs. other vector) impact, loss of cervical lordotic curve, preexisting degenerative changes, the use of seat belts and shoulder harness, poor head restraint geometry, non-awareness of the impending collision, female gender, and head rotation at impact.
5. Once thought to suggest minimal injury, a delay in onset of symptoms has been shown to be the norm, rather than the exception.
6. Mild traumatic brain injury can result from whiplash trauma. Often the symptoms are referred as the postconcussion syndrome. This condition, often maligned in the past, has now been well-validated in recent medical literature.
7. A recent outcome study of whiplash patients reported in the European Spine Journal found that between one and two years post injury, 22% of patients’ conditions deteriorated. This second wave of symptoms has been observed by others as well.
8. Radanov et al. followed whiplash patients through time and reported that 45% remained symptomatic at 12 weeks, and 25% were symptomatic at 6 months. Other researchers have reported time to recovery in the most minor of cases at 8 weeks; time to stabilization in the more severe cases at 17 weeks; and time to plateau in the most severe categories as 20.5 weeks. Thus, the notion that whiplash injuries heal in 6-12 weeks is challenged. (Incidentally, there never has been any real support for this common myth.)
9. Each year, 1.99 million Americans is injured in whiplash accidents.
10. Of the 31 important whiplash outcome studies published since 1956 (19 published since 1990 pooling patients from all vectors of collision (i. e., rear, frontal, and side impacts), a mean of 40% still symptomatic is found. For rear impact only, a mean of 59% remain symptomatic at long- follow-up.
11. Although estimates vary, about 10% of all whiplash victims becomes disabled.

Questions ? Call us today at 256-442-1441.

Impact!

Imagine yourself driving when a car behind you rear-ends your vehicle. The impact pushes your car forward. It takes about 100 milliseconds for your body to catch up to the forward movement. Your shoulders travel forward until they are under your head, and your neck extends backward. You step on the brakes bringing the car to an abrupt halt. The sudden stop throws your head and neck forward, and they bounce against the headrest. In a matter of seconds, you’ve experienced the classic back and forth mechanism of a  whiplash.

About 20 percent of people involved in rear-end collisions later experience symptoms that center in the neck region. Although most of these people recover quickly, a small number develop chronic conditions that result in severe pain and sometimes disability.

Whiplash is an injury to the soft tissues of the neck. Whiplash injury strains the muscles and ligaments of the neck beyond their normal range of motion. There is often pain and stiffness in the neck for the first few days following a whiplash injury. The pain can also be felt in the surrounding muscle groups in the head, chest, shoulders, and arms.

Causes of Whiplash: In addition to car accidents, whiplash can be caused by roller coasters and other amusement park rides, sports injuries, or being punched or shaken. (Whiplash is one of the hallmarks of shaken baby syndrome.)

Symptoms of Whiplash: You may feel pain and stiffness in your neck for the first few days following a whiplash injury. Then you feel better, but the pain and stiffness may come back several days later.

The discomfort you feel may involve surrounding muscle groups in your head, chest, shoulders, and arms.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Whiplash: How whiplash injuries occur is clearly understood, but the extent and type of injuries varies greatly. The diagnosis of whiplash is often one of exclusion. Most injuries are to soft tissues such as the disks, muscles and ligaments, and cannot be seen on standard X-rays. Your doctor may need to request specialized tests, such as computed tomography scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

First Aid of Whiplash: Try over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen.
For at least 2 to 3 weeks, avoid activities that bring on or worsen your pain and stiffness. Don’t lift or carry anything heavy or participate in sports.

If you have pain when you move your head or the pain involves your shoulders or arms, your doctor may recommend a soft neck collar or short-term prescription drug to relax the muscles.

Call your doctor if:

• Neck pain and stiffness comes back after it had resolved.
• The pain spreads to your shoulders or arms.
• You have pain when you move your head.
• You have numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arms.

Prevention of Whiplash: Headrests in your car can reduce the severity of neck pain from a car accident. Make sure that the headrest is positioned properly for your height.

If you do get whiplash, learn proper stretching exercises once your neck has healed. This reduces the chance that neck pain or stiffness will come back. And call your chiropractor!

 It’s A Dangerous Highway Out There!

Every day a gazillion cars zoom along Americas highways and that number continues to increase at an incredible rate of speed. We’re all in a hurry. We drive too fast, follow to close, and don’t pay attention anywhere near as much as we should. Because of this, year in and year out, motor vehicle accidents continue to multiply. 2003 statistics show that more than 12 million Americans are treated each year for motor vehicle accident injuries. That number continues to increase like wildfire!

THE TYPICAL “WHIPLASH TYPE” INJURY: Approximately 40 to 45% of impacts are caused by the front of one vehicle plowing into the rear of another. This, more than anything else, causes the typical “Whiplash-Type” of tissue damage injury.

Although tissue damage frequently occurs at the time of the accident, the “symptoms” may not show up right away. Mid 2003 tests reveal that when the front of a 3,500-pound car, traveling at only 10 miles per hour, strikes the rear of another vehicle, it can transmit a force of 25 tons to the motor vehicle it struck.

Few people realize that an untreated neck or back injury from a motor vehicle accident is likely to develop into arthritis in later years, adding more pain and disability. In fact, recent studies show that nearly 40% of whiplash victims end up with arthritis within five years of the injury.

When you think of injuries, you think of high-speed accidents, but experts say whiplash also happens in low speed crashes – - even when there’s no damage to the vehicle!

The force to the neck due to a shifting and snapping, forward and backward action, is often up to five times greater than the force of the collision itself, and (unfortunately) the use of seatbelts actually speeds up the “whipping motion” of the neck, causing even more injury.

YOU’RE RUSHED TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM: The typical Emergency Room is equipped to evaluate life-threatening conditions and provide emergency aid treatment only. The Emergency Room staff focuses on broken bones, hemorrhaging, internal injuries, and “Emergency Situations“. Beyond that, there’s not much else they can do. Unfortunately, a lot of the damage done in a rear impact accident, does not show up in the Emergency Room x-rays. Very often it’s not until several hours (or days!) later that the symptoms of a “Whiplash” injury becomes apparent.

TREATMENT: This type of an injury should be treated just as aggressively as a broken bone because the potential for long-term consequences can be greater in soft tissue injury than in broken bones. So, what happens to the soft tissue in an accident? The answer to that is even in a slow speed collision, the forces applied to bones, muscles, and joints of the body are clearly capable of inflicting significant injury. Almost all joints are pulled and twisted. Why? Because the body of the occupant is first accelerated forward in his seat. The head remains relatively stationary while the body moves forward underneath. This inflicts tremendous force on the neck. Then, just as the neck is stretched to (or even beyond) its normal limits, the torso has stopped its forward motion, the neck snaps back. When this takes place the head has accelerated up to five times the G-force of the impact – - and then back! Muscles and ligaments can be stretched beyond their breaking strength. Discs can be damaged. Nerve roots or the spinal cord can be injured permanently.

WILL A SOFT TISSUE INJURY HEAL ITSELF?: The answer to that is not a simple “Yes” or “No” because, without immediate and proper treatment, while it often does heal – - it can do so somewhat imperfectly!

In one study, it was determined that patients who had a whiplash-type of injury, 39-60% of them developed osteoarthritis in the ensuing years.

In another famous study patients were interviewed more than two years following the settlement of their cases. Without the proper care, 45% continued to complain of ongoing pain and disability (in the area of their neck and/or shoulders) which was determined to be directly related to their accident.

WHAT TO DO? If you‘re being treated by an Medical Doctor or a Chiropractor, you should complain, complain and complain!

Don’t allow yourself to be conned with something like, “I’m sorry, I know it hurts but just wait awhile. It’ll go away”! That’s a hogwash of an answer.

You’re entitled to treatment by an “expert“ and/or a team of them. Ask around (they’re out there) and you’ll find one. No matter how long it takes make sure, (when you’re finally released from treatment) that your “Whiplash-Type” injury has been completely repaired. If you don’t than you have only yourself to blame.  Call us anytime at 256-442-1441.