2 million Americans are injured in car accidents each year.
You can get whiplash from:
• A Car Injury• A sports injury
• A fall
• Being punched or shaken
Whiplash, although not technically a medical term, is very real and can be very painful. We call it whiplash because, in an accident, your neck really can whip back and forth—first backward (hyperextension) and then forward (hyperflexion). These muscles, in a reflex action, contract to bring the occupant’s head forward again, and to prevent excessive injury. This overcompensates because at this point the head is already traveling in a forward direction as the car decelerates. This violently rocks the head forward, stretching and tearing more muscles and ligaments. The soft pulpy discs between the vertebrae can bulge, tear, or rupture. Vertebrae can be forced out of their normal position, reducing range of motion. The spinal cord and nerve roots get stretched, irritated, and choked. If the victim is not properly restrained the occupants head may strike the steering wheel or windshield, possibly causing a concussion.
Whether from a car accident, sports, or an accident at work, whiplash or other neck injuries warrant a thorough chiropractic check-up. The biggest danger with whiplash injuries is that the symptoms can take years to develop. Too often people don't seek treatment until more serious complications develop. Even after whiplash victims settle their insurance claims, some 45% report they still suffer with symptoms two years later. Possibly resulting in permanent damage.
In the past a typical whiplash injury, where no bones were broken, was hard to document. Soft tissue injury didn't show up on normal x-rays/radiographs and insurance companies would deny coverage. Literally adding insult to injury, the patient suffering all too real pain was considered to be a fraud, a liar, or at best a hypochondriac. At Concord Chiropractic , we excel at documenting injuries resulting in very little problems with insurance companies. This is one of the many reasons that Bay Area attorneys refer so many patients to us.
The many years that we have been in practice, as well as the large number of auto injuries we have helped over the years, have enabled us to enjoy an excellent working relationship with multiple imaging centers around Contra Costa County. New imaging devices such as ;CAT Scans, Magnetic Imaging, and Ultra Sound, now show soft tissue injury and insurance companies now cover most whiplash injuries. When no bones are broken and the head doesn't strike the windshield, typical symptoms are as follows: 62% to 98% complain of neck pain, which typically starts two hours up to two days after the auto accident. This is often the result of tightened muscles that react to either muscle tears or excessive movement of joints from ligament damage. The muscles tighten in an effort to splint and support the head, limiting the excessive movement.
Sixty-six to 70% of those suffering from whiplash complain of headache. The pain may be on one side or both, on again off again or constant, in one spot or more general. These headaches, like the neck pain, are often the result of muscle spasms trying to keep the head stable and, like tension headaches, they are often felt behind the eyes.
Shoulder pain often described as pain radiating down the back of the neck into the shoulder blade area, may also be the result of muscle spasms and is a frequent symptom of the injuries resulting from a car accident.
Muscle tears are often described as burning pain, prickling or tingling. More severe disc damage may cause sharp pain with certain movements, with or without radiation into the arms, hand and fingers, and may be relieved by holding your hand over your head.
Below is a lists of the most common whiplash symptoms we see at Concord Chiropractic. If you experience any of these symptoms, play it safe and get a chiropractic check up.
Basic Whiplash Symptoms
Neck pain and/or stiffness Blurred vision
Difficulty swallowing
Irritability
Fatigue
Dizziness
Pain between the shoulder blades
Pain in the arms or legs, feet and hands
Headache
Low back pain and/or stiffness
Shoulder pain
Nausea
Ringing in the ears
Vertigo
Numbness and tingling
Pain in the jaw or face
“There was only minor damage done to my car.”LOW SPEED IMPACTS: These are car crashes that are considered to be any collision that takes place at speeds under 10 MPH. While there is absolutely no justification to call it a “Low Speed” accident that’s what the insurance industry loves to identify them as. Why ? Because a moniker like that is supposed to indicate that the “Impact” could not possibly have caused an injury. (As usual, when it comes to minimizing the value of the loss, they try to get away with anything they can)!
It’s true that when such a crash does take place there’s not a lot of damage done to the motor vehicle Yet, in many cases, people involved in these types of car accidents, more often than not suffer injuries - - neck injuries especially.
Although the insurance industry would like to have the world of claim settlement’s admit it, an injury can and absolutely does occur when a low impact collision takes place. The most common is identified as the “Whiplash”. This takes place because the occupants don’t have the slightest idea about the impending collision so they can’t brace themselves by forcing their back and/or neck against the seat or headrest.
QUESTION: "Whiplash is strange word for an injury - - where in the world does that come from?" ANSWER: "It comes from the fact that movies of low speed accidents reveal that one's body gets 'Whipped About' something fierce"!
Automobile bumpers are built to withstand up to a 5 MPH crash without damage, (people are not). This is not done to insure the safety of the occupant but rather to protect and limit the damage to the bumpers, keeping the cost of repair to a minimum. Many times car to car impacts can sustain an accident of 8 to 9 MPH before there’s recognizable damage to the automobile. However, and this is a provable fact, when the bumper doesn’t crumble and absorb the force of the accident - - more of that crash is felt by the occupants.
IMMEDIATE INJURIES: The individual that’s been crashed into by another (even at only 5 MPH) is thrown forward with a severe jerking motion - - causing necks to snap and backs to twist. Because of this many soft tissue styled injuries take place, including multiple body bruises, plus chest and rib injuries.
In most cases the forever-on-the-con insurance industry attempts to deny the possibility of injuries in a low speed impact but research substantiates just the opposite! The car will show little damage but the velocity and accompanying force have to be transferred somewhere, and that’s to the he or she sitting in that automobile. Cars are built to withstand such minor accidents - - the human body is not!
