Auto injuries of any magnitude
can be more serious than
you may think.

Understanding Whiplash

An auto injury affects many different aspects the body.

Whiplash is a severe injury to the vertebrae (spinal bones), muscles, and ligaments of the body and nervous system caused by a sudden forward and backward jerking of the head and neck.

Neurological dysfunctions can occur due to a whiplash or a blow to the head by the steering wheel, window etc.. These dysfunctions may include Nausea, dizziness, anxiety, digestive problems, ringing in the ears, and many other ailments resulting from the trauma.

Structural dysfunction caused by the injury will affect the vertebrae, muscles, ligaments and nervous system and can have long term negative affects if not taken care of during the initial phases of healing. Arthritic pain, degeneration of the spine, scar tissue, decreased range of motion, and decrease stability of the spine and joints.

Ligament dysfunction caused by the quick jolt of the accident can stretch the ligament and create micro-tears or complete tears resulting in instability and postural problems. (See posture page)

Trauma to the muscle creates dysfunction due to the strain and stress. The micro-trauma resulting from the accident causes muscle spasms and trigger points to occur to protect the body from any further injury. The body relies on feedback from the muscle receptors to sustain proper posture and body movement. A trauma can disrupt this feedback process and give a distorted message to the body resulting in abnormal spasms and pain due to continued muscle dysfunction. This is why the injury needs to be addressed quickly to make sure that proper alignment takes place for optimal healing.

Dr. Carlson specializes in the treatment of the above injuries from the initial trauma through the rehabilitation stage.

It is crucial that you take care of any injuries no matter how minor the injury is. You only have one spine take of it.

WHIPLASH

It is the most common injury following car accidents, usually happening in rear-ends collisions, and causes long-term pain and stiffness in the neck. Other possible symptoms of whiplash include back pain, headache, dizziness, blurred vision and many others. A recent edition of the journal Spine offered an updated whiplash review from the Canada-based Quebec Task Force, and proposed regular reviews of known predictive factors. The review included 13 whiplash studies published since 1995. The studies revealed the most common predictors associated with delayed whiplash recovery. Patients with slower recovery times were most likely to be older and female, and to have initial head, neck, or other chronic pain.

Doctors of chiropractic have the skills and training to effectively relieve the pain and other debilitating symptoms of whiplash by restoring your full range of motion, realigning your spine, and increasing the strength and flexibility of your neck muscles. If you experience the symptoms of a whiplash injury in a rear-end car accident - even at 5 mph - seek treatment immediately, no matter how minimal the pain. Don’t wait for the symptoms to go away: By avoiding treatment, you will only prolong your recovery and lower your quality of life.

Reference:

Cote P, Cassidy JD, Carroll L, et al. A systematic review of the prognosis of acute whiplash and a new conceptual framework to synthesize the literature. Spine 2001:26(19), pp. e445-e458.

Watch out for Mild Head Trauma

Mild head traumas, like those suffered in motor vehicle collisions and sports injuries, are often more serious than many doctors realize, say researchers.

Investigators examined positron emission tomography (PET) scans of 42 subjects who had withstood mild head trauma during the past month. In total, 84% of participants showed reduced brain glucose uptake, an indicator of brain damage. In addition, 61% of patients had Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores in the comatose range.

Bergsneider M, Hovda DA, Lee SM, Kelley Dl, et. al. Dissociation of cerebral glucose metabolism and level of consciousness during the period of metabolic depression following human traumatic brain injury J Neurotrauma 2000 (May); 17 (5): 389-401

Rear-End MVA's Have Long Term Effect on Well Being

People who are involved in rear-end motor vehicle accidents (MVA's) have an elevated risk of several ailments, compared with individuals who have not been involved in rear-end MVA's. Researchers in Sweden pooled data on 436 drivers who were in rear-end MVA's during 1987 or 1988. Of these subjects, 232 suffered a whiplash injury and 204 were not injured. A control group was also established, comprised of 3,688 individuals who had not been in an MVA. All subjects were aged 18 to 65 years.

After seven years, subjects completed a health questionnaire. Findings showed that people who had been in MVA's were up to 3.7 times more likely to suffer from back pain, headache, fatigue, sleep disturbances and ill health, compared with those who were not in MVA's. Curiously, no difference in risk was found among MVA subjects who had suffered a whiplash injury and those who had not. "We conclude that rear-end collisions resulting in reported whiplash injuries seem to have a substantial impact on health complaints, even a long time after the collision," conclude the study’s authors.

Berglund A, Alfredsson L, Jensen I, Cassidy JD, Nygren A The association between exposure to a rear-end collision and future health complaints J Clin Epidemiol 2001 (Aug); 54 (8): 851-856

Rear-End MVA's Have Long Term Impact on Neck and Shoulder Pain

Neck pain is the most frequently reported feature in connection with whiplash injury, but it is also a common complaint in the general population. To determine whether exposure to a rear-end collision, without or with whiplash injury, is associated with future neck or shoulder pain, a cohort study was conducted. Claim reports were collected from the period November 1987 to April 1988. Drivers exposed to a rear-end collision were divided into two subgroups, without reported whiplash injury (n = 204) and with reported whiplash injury (n = 232).

A questionnaire concerning neck or shoulder pain and other subjective health complaints was mailed to all the study subjects at follow-up in 1994, 7 years after the rear-end collision. In drivers with reported whiplash injury, the risk of neck or shoulder pain 7 years after the collision was increased nearly three-fold compared with that in unexposed subjects.

Berglund A, Alfredsson L, Cassidy JD, Jensen I, Nygren A The association between exposure to a rear-end collision and future neck or shoulder pain: a cohort study J Clin Epidemiol 2000 (Nov); 53 (11): 1089-1094