Whiplash Injury and Car Accident Facts

Chiropractors specialize in auto accident injury recovery. Every year thousands of people are involved in car accidents. Many different injuries, including whiplash, occur in these accidents.

Too many whiplash injury sufferers don't seek the proper treatment they require. Whiplash neck injury and back pain can be effectively treated and recovery can happen. If you, or someone you know, have been in a car accident, seek chiropractic help immediately to determine whether whiplash or soft tissue injury has occurred.

Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about whiplash and the resulting injuries. The following statements should help dispel the myths about whiplash and give better understanding of this deceptive injury.

You cannot be injured in an auto accident of less than 12 mph. MYTH!

The fact is, only about 22% of auto injuries occur when impacts were greater than 12 mph. 60% of injuries happened in car accidents with the low speeds of 6-12 mph. And yet another 18% received soft tissue injury when impact was less the 6 mph.

You can have a whiplash injury even if your car has no structural damage. FACT!

Most cars can withstand a crash of 8-12 mph without any damage. More than half of all whiplash injuries happen without any damage to the vehicle.

Whiplash symptoms will occur immediately after a car accident. MYTH!

The fact is, an individual may have some pain immediately following a car accident, but whiplash symptoms may not occur for hours, days, weeks or possibly even months. That's why it's imperative that anyone involved in a car accident should seek professional health care immediately to determine whether a whiplash injury has actually occurred.

Whiplash affects women more than men. FACT!

There are many factors that affect the severity and length of whiplash symptoms. Your age, whether you're a male or female, even your physical condition and posture play a vital role. As you get older you start to lose flexibility and strength in your neck. When this happens your neck can't handle the strain from an auto accident as well.

Statistically, women experience whiplash more than men. This is primarily due to the fact that men have stronger neck muscles and women have smaller neck bones. Poor posture at the time of the accident can worsen the whiplash injury. Also, if you're a smoker, the healing process can be prolonged. All these factors alone, or combined, can have a large impact on how severe your whiplash injury will be or the length of time it may take to recover.

The only symptom of whiplash is neck pain. MYTH!

The fact is, there can be many symptoms in a whiplash injury. Neck pain, shoulder injury and upper back pain are just a few. The following injury statistical averages are astounding and eye opening: 92% of whiplash injuries cause neck pain. 57% suffer headaches, 56% fatigue, 49% shoulder pain, 44% anxiety (yes, anxiety), 42% upper back pain, 39% low back pain, 39% sleep disturbance, 26% impaired concentration. These are many, but not all, symptoms of whiplash injuries.

Chiropractic care is helpful in the treatment and recovery of whiplash. FACT!

If you are in a car accident you should be checked out as soon as possible by a chiropractor. You may not realize that you've sustained an auto accident injury. Whiplash injury can improve with chiropractic care.

A chiropractor will conduct an exam and may request x-rays to see more of the damage. If a chiropractor does determine that a whiplash injury has occurred he/she may use a number of safe and effective treatment options to help restore the proper use of the affected area.

There is nothing you can do to prevent whiplash injury. MYTH!

There are steps you can take that can reduce or prevent the personal injury of whiplash during a car accident. One key point is the position of your headrest on your car seat. Adjust the headrest to align to the back of your head... not down at the neck. This will help support your head from being snapped back and forth when involved in a car accident.

The overall fact is that if you have been involved in any type of auto accident, there is a great probability that you have sustained a whiplash injury or at the very least, a soft tissue injury.

As a guideline, if your car has accident damage of any sort, your body will have injury damage also. The injury may not present itself right away. It may show up much later causing long term or even permanent problems. The point here being, regardless of the severity of a car accident, you should be checked out thoroughly by a health care professional as soon as possible.

Car Accident Whiplash Injury and Treatment

Although whiplash is a very common occurrence in car accidents, whiplash injuries can also occur in sports, where impacts from behind are common. As a matter of fact, any activity or accident which involves the head being snapped forward and backward suddenly and rapidly can result in whiplash. Whiplash injury is a very serious reality for those victims.

Whiplash refers to an injury to the soft tissues of the neck and upper back including the ligaments, tendons, and muscles. The symptoms of whiplash include neck pain and stiffness amongst many others. Upper back and shoulder pain can also occur. Depending on the severity of the whiplash injury and the health of the person involved in the accident, whiplash injuries can heal within weeks or can linger and turn into chronic conditions that last for years and lead to pain and sometimes disability.

If you have been involved in a car accident and have sustained whiplash injury, it's important to see a chiropractor or medical doctor for a diagnostic evaluation and determination of the extent of your injuries. Most injuries are similar to those of muscle strains and include soft tissues injuries to the muscles and ligaments. Whiplash is a more complex injury because there may be damage to the cervical discs as well as soft tissue damage. Your chiropractor can refer you to a physician should the extent of your injuries fall outside of chiropractic alternative care.

To understand car accident neck injuries, you have to know something about the anatomy of your spine. This is why working with doctors of chiropractic to correct whiplash type injuries makes so much sense. Chiropractors are specifically trained to deal with spinal issues resulting from impact trauma and much more. Through diagnostic examination, digital x-rays and hands on manipulation, your local chiropractor can diagnose, treat and adjust you back to optimal health.

Chiropractors focus on the treatments for different neck injuries using alternative methods of rehabilitation including adjustments, physical rehabilitation, lifestyle changes and wellness programs. However, given the severity of the neck injury your chiropractor can refer you to a medical doctor who can then assist recovery and alleviate inflammation and pain with medications and in the most serious cases surgery.

Typical neck injuries include neck sprains where injury to the ligaments has occurred by virtue of being stretched or torn in the neck, resulting in a neck sprain, which can cause pain and stiffness. Then there are neck strains where the muscles in the neck are stretched or torn. Neck strains are typically called "pulled muscles" and often occur when the muscles are suddenly and powerfully contracted or when they stretch outside their normal range of motion. This can be the case in a car accident or even sporting accidents and collisions.

And if you are one of those "back seat junkies" who store everything but the kitchen sink behind the back seat, you may want to think about getting a cargo barrier that's been crash tested. These barriers can easily be locked in place or taken down as needed, and they have been shown to save lives from flying objects inside the car.

HOW TO USE THIS INFORMATION:

This auto accident information was given to you as a way to help keep you and your family safe in the event of an accident and to help you through the recovery process as easily and quickly as possible.

Did you know that depending on where you live, the chances you could be involved in an auto accident in the next year could be as high as 20 to 33 percent? In the unfortunate event that you are involved in an auto accident, this article will help you and save time and money as well as provide you with accurate records of the accident.

The article should be printed and kept in your glove compartment along with a couple pens and a disposable camera. It is important to keep accurate records and to take pictures of the scene of the a

WHAT TO DO AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT:

1. Try to remain calm.

2. Check to see if anyone is injured.

3. Call 911 if someone is injured.

4. Always call police: Record your Police Dispatch Phone # here: ( ) ______________________

5. Exchange information with the other party (Use blank side of this article).

6. Gather information from any witnesses present (Use blank side of this article).

7. Do not admit fault.

8. Take pictures of the accident with your phone camera.

AFTER THE ACCIDENT:

1. Call your Chiropractor and MD for an evaluation of potential injuries. (It may take several days or weeks before you notice any complaints. Do not try to 'wait it out!')

2. Save your evidence.

3. Contact your attorney and call your Doctor as soon as your attorney's appointment has been made.

4. Report the accident to your insurance company.

5. Do not give any oral or written testimony to the other insurance company.

PROTECTING YOUR HEALTH AFTER AN AUTO ACCIDENT:

Whiplash leads to long-term disability in about 10% of people injured in car accidents. Approximately 1,000,000 people are exposed to whiplash injury in the U.S. every year. Nearly 25% of these cases result in chronic pain and disability. It is estimated that 1 in 7 whiplash victims will still have significant pain more than 3 years after the accident.

Chiropractors have extensive training in evaluating and treating whiplash injuries. The disabling effects that so often occur with whiplash result when injured tissues in the neck begin to heal. If you are not getting the proper care, these injuries will heal with scar tissue that is not as flexible or as elastic as healthy muscles, ligaments, nerves and other tissue. If left untreated, whiplash injuries have been shown to lead to early-onset arthritis.

Make sure to call Chiropractor and MD even after minor accidents to safeguard your health and prevent possible future pain or injury.

SEAT BELT SAFETY... A FINAL NOTE:

Failure to wear a seat belt contributes to more fatalities than any other single traffic safety-related behavior. Wearing a seat belt is still the single most effective thing we can do to save lives and reduce injuries on our nations roadways.