Accidents and Injuries

Whiplash is one of the most prevalent types of injuries resulting from an automobile accident, most commonly during rear-end auto collisions. However, whiplash-associated disorders can develop due to a variety of other circumstances, including sports injuries, amusement park rides or physical abuse. Whiplash occurs when the soft tissues of the neck, such as the muscles, tendons and ligaments, extend beyond their natural range of motion because of a sudden back-and-forth movement of the head. Furthermore, the sheer force of an impact can stretch and even tear the complex structures surrounding the cervical spine.

The symptoms of whiplash-associated disorders may take days, weeks or even months to manifest, which is why it’s important for individuals who’ve been involved in an automobile accident to seek immediate medical attention. There are many different types of treatment options which can safely and effectively help treat whiplash. The purpose of the following article is to demonstrate the treatment guidelines of neck pain-associated disorders and whiplash-associated disorders.

Whiplash occurs when the muscles and ligaments of the neck stretch further than their average range of motion. While symptoms of neck injury may not occur instantly, it’s essential to keep a close watch over any physical changes which may result following the accident and seek medical attention as soon as possible to properly diagnose the presence of any other spinal complications. Although whiplash is considered a relatively mild condition, it can cause long-term pain and discomfort.

During an auto collision, the sudden force of the impact causes an individual’s head to abruptly move back-and-forth in any direction, depending on the type of car crash. The rapid flexion and extension of the neck pulls and extends the muscles, straining the soft tissues around the cervical spine, occasionally causing them to tear.

After several years of research, it’s evident that the spinal ligaments can be stretched and/or torn during an automobile accident. Prior research has shown that the anterior longitudinal ligaments, the transverse ligaments, and the facet capsules, found within the neck, can be damaged or injured even in minor crashes.

Automobile accidents are often unpredictable circumstances which can involve many complications. Whether it’s a minor or severe collision, many individuals are forced to deal with all the implications that come after being involved in an auto accident on their own, a frustrating process that frequently ends with victims being on the losing end of their benefits. Injured and without a car, approaching the best course of action following an auto accident doesn’t need to be a difficult circumstance and we know the best procedures to help you recover from your situation.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 2.6 million individuals are injured each year in automobile accidents, accounting for 95 percent of all injury causing accidents on the roads. During a car crash, the sudden force of the impact can commonly cause subluxations or spinal misalignments in the body, a condition where the complex structures surrounding the spine are affected, distorting the normal alignment of the vertebra, irritating nerves, ligaments, and discs, overall affecting their natural function and your health.

A research conducted from the University of Alberta demonstrated that consistent recording of an individual’s pain and discomfort in a journal may actually slow down their recovery from whiplash-associated disorders.

The research involved 60 individuals diagnosed with acute whiplash injuries. Each individual was randomly designated to one of two separate groups: a symptom diary group or a control group. The individuals from the symptom diary group were asked to manage a journal rating their overall levels of pain for each day. Additionally, individuals from both groups received physical therapy for their whiplash-type injuries. After three months of treatment, the individuals were evaluated for recovery. Overall, 59% of the individuals within the symptom diary group reported recovery as compared to 86% of the individuals within the control group. 

The author of the study, Robert Ferrari, concluded that not only was using a pain diary unfavorable towards recovery but its use might actually be more harmful for the individual. Ferrari explained that keeping a pain diary could make an individual more aware of their symptoms, leading to incorrect perceptions of prognosis. Negative attitudes have before been linked to chronic pain symptoms in individuals with whiplash-type injuries and low back pain.

“While diaries may serve a useful purpose to facilitate practitioner-patient communication about symptoms and to track the course of symptoms, the benefits have not been demonstrated”, Ferrari wrote.

A study published in the journal BMC Public Health found that only 44% of individuals suffering from whiplash had returned to work after two years as compared to 57% of individuals with other musculoskeletal injuries.

Approximately 19-60% of individuals with whiplash-associated disorders still experience symptoms six months after the injury, and up to half of that percentage will fail to return to work within a year due to their symptoms. Researchers from Denmark conducted a study to determine whether the high rates of continuous and consistent symptoms actually affected the return-to-work rates of individuals with whiplash type injuries. By the end of the study, 56% of individuals with whiplash injuries were still on sick leave after two years. The results for this study proved to be much higher compared to the results found in earlier studies. For example, a study conducted in 2001 demonstrated that only 12% of individuals with whiplash-associated disorders hadn’t returned to their normal activities or they had resumed back only to modified job functions a year after their initial injuries. 

Regardless, both research studies showed that for individuals with chronic symptoms of whiplash, the chance of long-term work disability was greater. Active rehabilitation, such as chiropractic treatment, physical therapy, and exercise can promote an individual’s recovery as well as ensure they can return quickly to their regular lifestyles and work responsibilities.

The new study found that approximately 25.7% of individuals with whiplash injuries also experienced post traumatic stress disorder which adversely influenced their physical symptoms. Prior studies had suggested that PTSD and hypersensitivity to pain could ultimately increase the risk for an individual to develop chronic whiplash symptoms.

A study conducted by Ashley Pedler and Michele Sterling of the University of Queensland in Australia was utilized to determine whether individuals with whiplash and hypersensitivity could be categorized according to their symptoms. The study involved 331 patients who had experienced a whiplash injury approximately within 3 months from the automobile accident. Each patient was evaluated for neck pain, disability, cervical range of motion, mental health, and PTSD as well as hypersensitivity.

The fundamental element for protecting yourself from whiplash injuries involves your head restraint. A wide variety of studies have found that a majority of individuals have an improperly adjusted head restraint, more commonly known as a head rest, and their incorrect use could be the key to whiplash-associated disorders. Whiplash can put hundreds of pounds of force on the complex muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other structures that surround the cervical spine, causing damage and/or injury.

A good head restraint position can be obtained by eliminating or reducing the amount of space from which the head can move. In doing so, the strain which is placed on the neck can be greatly reduced. The head restraint also needs to be positioned where the back of the head will be leveled directly with the middle of the head rest while the seat will need to be positioned where the head is placed very close to the head restraint. There should be a maximum of 2.5 inches between the head and the restraint.

Properly adjusting the head restraint of your car can help reduce the chance of neck injury during an automobile accident. If you’ve been involved in a car collision, seek immediate medical attention to diagnose any other possible injuries or developing conditions, such as whiplash, to begin medical treatment as soon as possible. Chiropractic care can provide effective treatment for many individuals with whiplash-type injuries through the use of spinal adjustments to the cervical spine as well as manual manipulation to relieve muscle pain and soreness. Additionally, a chiropractor may also recommend following a specific routine of stretches and exercises to promote faster healing for your whiplash symptoms. 

The majority of people who suffer a whiplash type injury as a result of an automobile accident are instructed to wear a neck brace but, an abundant amount of research suggests that neck braces, also known as cervical collars, may actually cause more harm than good.

 A new study shows that individuals who experienced whiplash have a better chance of recovering from their injury and symptoms without the use of a cervical collar. In addition, these findings, together with previous studies, also suggest that individuals may have better recovery results with active treatments such as chiropractic care and exercise.

Other studies have also demonstrated that the use of cervical collars can prolong pain and disability in individuals with whiplash injuries. A 2008 meta-analysis of recent studies on whiplash treatment found that cervical collars are fundamentally meant to be used in cases of spinal fractures for it to be beneficial. It’s use in other types of injuries or conditions can actually prevent recovery. The function of cervical collars is to immobilize the spine in order to prevent further damage or injury. Nonetheless, the neck’s inactivity resulting from the use of cervical collars can eventually cause muscle degeneration and decreased function. 

Chiropractic care for treating this type of injury includes neck adjustments and manual manipulation, followed by gentle stretches and exercises to help speed up the rehabilitation process. By re-aligning the cervical spine and correcting tissue damage as a result of the injury, a chiropractor can help restore the affected individual’s normal mobility and decrease their pain and other symptoms.

Several studies suggest that individuals with previous symptoms of neck pain were more likely to develop chronic symptoms after suffering a whiplash injury. But the true question was whether people who received medical attention for any neck or back injury or condition before being involved in an automobile accident reflected on their constant symptoms as compared to people who never received medical attention for another complication and only then did they seek treatment after the accident.

Researchers conducted a study where the medical records of 1.2 million people were analyzed, from those, 1,443 individuals were identified to have whiplash. The individuals who suffered from whiplash were tracked for three years after the automobile accident injury, while researchers also examined their medical data three years prior to the injury. Throughout the six years, the people with whiplash were recorded to be more than twice as likely to seek constant medical attention from their symptoms. However, people with higher rates of medical care before the injury were recorded to be more likely to report more sick days and greater rates of medical attention as compared to individuals with lower rates of medical care before the injury.

Therefore, according to the study, people who had a previous neck injury or condition prior to experiencing the whiplash-type injury were at a higher risk of developing chronic symptoms as compared to those whom didn’t present prior injuries or conditions. Regardless of the findings, seeking and continuing medical attention for your injuries is crucial towards alleviating any impairing symptoms, ultimately helping the individual reach a full recovery without developing chronic problems.

After being involved in an automobile accident, spinal injuries, such as whiplash, can commonly occur. While it’s important to seek immediate treatment for any possible injuries or complications, exercising can also be a treatment option for recovering from minor auto injuries.

As a matter of fact, individuals who have experienced injuries as a result of an automobile accident can greatly benefit from exercise treatments recommended by a medical professional, such as a chiropractor or physiotherapist. Chiropractic doctors can also use spinal adjustments and manual manipulation to help enhance the effectiveness of exercise therapies and speed up the rehabilitation process of whiplash or other spine-related injuries. Patients with chronic pain due to a previous whiplash injury can also benefit from chiropractic care and exercise therapies. Depending on the individual's severity of the injury, following the proper exercises recommended by a chiropractor or other medical specialist is important in order to avoid further injuries. Seeking chiropractic treatment after suffering an auto collision is essential to restore an individual’s overall health and wellness as well as to reduce symptoms of pain and discomfort in the future. 

The symptoms of whiplash generally occur immediately after the automobile accident, but occasionally, these can take several hours or even days to develop.

If you have been involved in a car crash, it’s important to take prompt action in order to minimize the recovery time. According to research presented at the World Congress on Neck Pain in Los Angeles, the initial level of pain after a whiplash-related injury as well as psychological factors, such as having positive expectations for getting better, can best predict which individuals will recover quickly from whiplash.

Most cases will resolve in a matter of a few days while others may take weeks or longer to heal. It’s always recommended to seek professional medical attention after experiencing pain and discomfort, but in the meantime, the individual can utilize home remedies to relieve their symptoms while they begin their recovery process.

Whiplash and other type of neck injuries can occur from any type of auto accident, especially a rear-end collision. During the abrupt and forceful movement from a car crash, the body goes through an extremely rapid and intense acceleration and deceleration where the individual’s head can move back-and-forth very suddenly and with great force in any direction. As a result, the soft tissues of the neck extend beyond their normal range of motion, damaging and injuring the various structures surrounding the cervical spine.

Symptoms of whiplash generally appear within 24 hours following the incident, however, sometimes the symptoms may develop after a few days, weeks, or even months after the automobile accident. Many individuals believe they are not as injured as they really are, that’s why it’s always essential to seek immediate medical attention after being involved in an auto accident in order to determine the presence of an injury or detect the early development of a much serious medical condition.

The most commonly reported symptoms of whiplash include neck pain and discomfort, accompanied by stiffness, headaches, especially at the base of the skull, dizziness, blurred vision and constant fatigue. Other, less common symptoms associated with chronic whiplash include, chronic pain on the neck, shoulder or head, difficulty concentrating or retaining memory, irritability, ringing in the ears and/or inability to get a good night’s rest.

A Canadian study found that a considerable percentage of individuals who’ve been injured in these types of car crashes may eventually develop a form of chronic pain.

 The research was conducted at the University of Alberta where 268 people who had suffered a grade 1 or 2 neck injury as a result of an automobile accident were evaluated. These were the least severe types of injuries as the scale also consists of grade 3 and 4. Each individual was examined at 3 months, 6 months, and at 1 year after the time of the accident. Additionally, the individuals were specifically asked the question, “Do you feel that you have recovered from your injuries?”

The end results of the study revealed that 3 months post-injury, about 38% of individuals reported pain and other symptoms. Then, 6 months post-injury results revealed that about 22% of individuals reported pain and other symptoms. Finally, the end results of the study revealed that 1 year post-injury, about 18% of individuals still reported pain and other symptoms. The results confirmed what previous research had found. A British research paper from 2009 described that as many as 5% of individuals may be permanently disabled from an auto collision and that a considerable amount of more than 5% of individuals may experience painful symptoms even 10 years or more after the initial injury.

If you’ve been involved in an automobile accident and experienced an injury that is causing you symptoms of pain and discomfort, it’s essential to seek immediate medical attention to diagnose a possible injury or aggravated condition after the collision. Early treatment can be the key to preventing chronic symptoms from developing in the first place. 

Research has discovered that individuals with whiplash-type injuries may share various characteristics of those with Achilles tendonosis, offering further insight into possible new treatment options for chronic whiplash symptoms. The study analyzed the tendons of individuals with whiplash-associated disorders and found signs of pathological neovascularization, or the development of blood vessels in abnormal tissues, comparable to what has been found in individuals with Achilles tendonosis.

The research conducted to examine the symptoms of chronic pain in the Achilles and patellar tendons demonstrated the presence of high blood flow in the more painful areas of the tendons. Additionally, later studies revealed that these particularly painful tendons showed the characteristic similarity of blood vessel growth in abnormal tissues. Through the study, researchers also determined that injections of anesthetics into these vessels could provide temporary symptom relief.

The researchers from Umea University in Sweden utilized the same imaging techniques used in the Achilles tendonosis studies to determine changes in the tendons of individuals who suffered from whiplash injuries during auto collisions. Individuals with whiplash showed more areas with high blood flow, and the blood flow was intensified at each examined region. Areas of high blood flow were evident where the tendons entered into the bone. In the study, women with whiplash were more likely to have more areas of high blood flow than men, evidence that may suggest why there’s higher rates of whiplash injuries in women.

For individuals who’ve been involved in an automobile accident, the symptoms of neck and back pain resulting from an injury can be disabling. The greatest issue with neck and back pain caused during an auto collision involves the continuous cycle of the body when it reacts to injury. Due to the traumatic nature of the accident, the damage or injury to the spine most often causes a chemical response to trigger, leading to symptoms of pain, inflammation, and swelling, well-known signs that unfortunately don’t resolve quickly.

Many chiropractors commonly diagnose and treat neck and back complications affecting individuals after being involved in an auto accident. After suffering an injury, it’s important to seek immediate medical attention to begin treatment for your injuries. When the body experiences trauma from an injury, its normal for the body to produce inflammatory chemicals that cause the region surrounding the tissue damage to become inflamed and swollen but if the individual doesn’t receive medical treatment, the chemical process will continue, causing worse symptoms to develop.

In addition to chiropractic care, applying ice therapy to the area of the injury and staying active can help improve the symptoms of the injury. Using ice can help temporarily reduce the inflammation on the muscle tissues and it also offers relief from the pain. Walking, for example, is a simple physical activity that can help stimulate the body to produce natural pain killers as well as help maintain the body’s flexibility.

A chiropractor can easily diagnose the source of your neck and back pain to decide which spinal adjustments, exercises, and stretches will be the best option for your type of injury and level of symptoms in order to speed up the healing process and promote the best recovery.

Over the last 10 years, new research has found that TMJ and its well-known symptoms resulting after an auto accident could actually originate from neck complications. After a neck injury, the pain signals travel from the spine to the brainstem. In this process, the nerves from numerous areas of the body also travel into the brainstem where they will gather together before being transmitted to the pain centers of the brain. As the nerve signals converge, the various signals can become crossed and confused.

The nerves found on the jaw connect through the neck with pain receptors from the spine. As chronic pain signals from an automobile injury trigger an over-stimulation, an individual suffering from a neck injury such as whiplash can also experience pain in other areas of the head, including the jaw. The jaw then reacts to the constant symptoms of pain by tensing up the muscles surrounding the jaw, causing even more pain and discomfort.

Chiropractic care is an effective treatment option for individuals who’ve experienced damage or injury as a result of an auto accident. With the use of spinal adjustments, manual manipulation, and occasional stretches and exercises, a chiropractor can help a person with temporomandibular joint disorders and other neck complications recover from their injuries. By getting to the root cause of your pain, a chiropractor can get you back on the road to health.  

After being involved in an automobile accident, whiplash is the most frequent type of injury commonly diagnosed by medical specialists. The common symptoms associated with whiplash are most often misdiagnosed and, as a result, the auto injury is generally not treated at the source but, recent studies have found a possible reason behind the chronic symptoms of whiplash.

Over the past couple of years, various studies have found that whiplash injuries can cause hyper excitability of the central nervous system, otherwise known as the peripheral nerves. A team of researchers conducted a meta-analysis and systematic review of 27 different trials, analyzing the connection between whiplash and the central nervous system dysfunction. Hyper excitability refers to an excessive reaction to stimuli, in this case, the peripheral nerves are altered, often presenting a variety of symptoms leading to other peripheral nerve hyperexcitability disorder syndromes and further complications. The researchers concluded that there is compelling evidence pointing to central hyperexcitability in individuals who’ve suffered from chronic whiplash. In fact, these changes in the central nervous system could potentially make people with whiplash type injuries more sensitive to other types of pain.

Through chiropractic adjustments and manual manipulation, a chiropractor can gradually treat your whiplash injury. Because spinal adjustments can soothe oversensitive nerves, chiropractic care can be a potentially effective treatment for whiplash to effectively ease pain and nerve hyperexcitability.

Whiplash refers to a soft-tissue injury of the cervical spine, or neck, caused by a strong, abrupt, back-and- forth movement of the head, typically caused by an automobile accident, although this type of injury can also be the result of a sports accident or other trauma. Several studies suggest that up to 43% of individuals generally suffer from long-term symptoms following a whiplash injury. Further studies also suggest that of those individuals whom still experience symptoms after three months of the injury, almost 90% of the time, they will develop chronic whiplash symptoms. 

Although conventional treatment can be used to treat whiplash, chiropractic treatment is notably recommended to treat many automobile accident injuries and the improvement results are quite significant, according to research. The authors of a study researched the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment in 28 individuals who had been previously diagnosed with chronic whiplash pain and other symptoms. Each person had been referred to a chiropractor in between a range of 3 months to almost 4 years after their accident, with an average of 15.5 months. After following the appropriate chiropractic treatment, 26 of the affected individuals, in other words, 93% of the people with chronic whiplash symptoms, had improved considerably: 16 individuals had improved by one symptom group while 10 individuals had improved by two symptom groups. 

For whiplash, a chiropractor often uses spinal adjustments and manual manipulations to correct cervical spine misalignments in order to minimize the stress and tension on the surrounding neck muscles. Chiropractic treatment can also include a set of stretches or exercises to continue rehabilitating whiplash symptoms.

Individuals involved in automobile accidents are frequently accused of pretending to suffer from pain and other symptoms in order to earn a profit from insurance companies, but the truth is that in the majority of the cases, people involved in an auto collision are actually hurt and injured. Another large percentage of those individuals also refuse to follow through a legal process after their auto accidents despite suffering from chronic pain.

 In the U.S., if an individual develops chronic neck pain or other type of symptoms after an automobile accident, it’s not uncommon for them to be viewed with great suspicion by others, as if their symptoms were not real. However, researchers from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine conducted a study where the medical records of 948 auto injury patients were analyzed to evaluate their musculoskeletal pain after an auto accident. Of those patients, about 70% of the individuals reported ongoing musculoskeletal symptoms six weeks after the automobile accident. Also, more than one third of the individuals experienced pain in four or more areas of the body.

Whether or not you plan on proceeding with legal processes after an automobile accident, it is essential to seek medical attention as soon as possible to prevent chronic pain symptoms from developing. Chiropractors can help diagnose any possible injuries or underlying conditions that could be causing your pain and discomfort as well as effectively helping to relieve acute and chronic symptoms after an auto injury. Hopefully the results of this study will contribute to helping doctors and the public understand that these symptoms are common, including among patients who don’t pursue litigation.

After suffering from whiplash or another injury as a result of an automobile accident, many people frequently ask themselves, “How long will I need to recover from my injury?”

 While the time of recovery for each individual can greatly depend on the severity of the injury, the speed of the healing process can also be largely influenced by individual characteristics such as age, mental health, and even occupation. Many people who have experienced grade I or grade II whiplash injuries may begin to show significant relief of their symptoms within a year of their injury. Nonetheless, many people whom have also experienced whiplash can develop chronic complications.

The term chronic is medically used to refer to a variety of uncomfortable symptoms that are experienced for longer than three months. If not treated, the lingering effects of chronic whiplash can last up to a decade after the injury. Early studies have shown that PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, resulting after a traumatic auto accident, can often increase the probability of individuals developing chronic symptoms.