Until recently, whiplash syndrome has been poorly understood.-á Although it is commonly caused by a car accident, any sudden impact or blow causing your neck to jolt forward and backwards can result in a neck strain. A few other ways for whiplash injuries to occur can be forceful sports injuries, slipping or falling down, and bike accidents. The term "WhiplashGÇ¥ was coined in 1928 by a young orthopedic surgeon who observed the similarities from "railway spineGÇ¥; neck injuries caused by train accidents.-á Dr Gary Crowe had observed the similarities in injuries from patients who were in automobile accidents to those in train accidents.-á Automobile accidents became the new cause of ailments including: neck pain, headaches, dizziness, arm pain, fatigue, and low back pain. These symptoms would persist for days, weeks, and even months after a collision with another automobile.-á Today, many automotive innovations are being devised to avoid or minimize whiplash injury such as: accident avoidance systems, active head restraints, warning systems and others.-á The fact is our streets and highways are overcrowded with more and more vehicles which results in an increase in collisions.-á The problem is also compounded with the use of cell phones, in car navigation, and stereos that distract the driver from his or her main job; driving safely. Cars today are equipped with 5mph bumpers, meaning that they can withstand an impact at 5 mph, without showing any visible damage.-á The injury threshold for most human occupants is 4 mph, so even without any visible car damage, a person can sustain an injury.-á Factors affecting the type and severity of personal injury include but are not limited to: vehicle speed, vehicle size, head restraint heights, solid or collapsible bumpers, occupant awareness, head or body rotation at impact, a person's size, the current health status of the occupant, previous injuries sustained, pavement conditions, second impact with another vehicle, bracing at impact and many more. So you can see there are hundreds of variables in the intensity and severity of impacts which affect the intensity and severity of injuries that a person may suffer. Whiplash refers to the sudden acceleration and deceleration of one part of the body over the other at the time of impact.-á Since the human head weighs 10-12 pounds, there is a tremendous shear force that occurs in the soft tissue structures of the neck.-á This sudden shear force causes tears in the muscles, ligaments, nerve roots, lymphatic vessels, arteries and veins.-á Typical x-rays and non specific physical examinations do not detect these injuries.-á Therefore, many patients are not correctly diagnosed and treatment is often delayed or ignored.-á Mild whiplash can resolve within a few weeks with no treatment.-á However, moderate to severe soft tissue injuries can last months or even years if left untreated.-á These patients often suffer from chronic pain, depression and become confused about what to do. The most common symptoms of a whiplash injury are neck pain, headaches, arm pain and numbness, mid back pain and low back pain.-á If you experience any of these symptoms following a motor vehicle collision, seek an evaluation from your qualified health care provider.
Pprovided by: Dr. Michael Kaufman D.C. Kaufman Chiropractic Clinic
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