5 Things You Need to Know About Whiplash

In our office, we have seen hundreds of patients who have suffered from whiplash due to an auto injury. It important to see a chiropractor as soon as possible once the injury has occurred to insure that long term damage is avoided in the neck and back. Here are 5 facts that most patients are unaware of when it comes to whiplash injuries.

1. Type of accident: Rear impact collisions make up about 25% of all crashes but they account for 38.7% of all injuries from motor vehicle accidents. Rear impact injuries carry a worse prognosis than either side or frontal impact injuries.
2. The potential for a soft tissue injury in the neck of healthy adults is a collision at 2.5-5 mph. Most modern cars can withstand crash speeds of up to 8-10 mph without sustaining any appreciable damage. This means that just because there is no damage to the vehicle does not mean you did not suffer an injury.
3. Various comorbidities have been found after motor vehicle collisions and patients are twice as likely as those who have not had a neck injury. Some of them include allergies, breathing disorders, cardiovascular disorders, digestive disorders, lower back pain, neck pain, headaches and depression. The general health was also found to be lower in those who have suffered from an injury.
4. Females are more likely to be injured in the motor vehicle collision than males across all age groups. In addition to being female and older age, the following findings or symptoms are associated with a poor outcome: neck pain on palpation, muscle pain, radiating pain into the upper extremities and headache. People with significant vehicle property damage (more than half the car) were found to generally require longer periods of treatment.
5. Traumatic brain injury is a big area of concern. These injuries constitute a very extensive subgroup of patients. The spectrum of injury ranges from mild concussion (without loss of consciousness but with some amnesia or confusion) to the classical concussion with brief LOC, amnesia and mental changes that can be permanent. Post concussion symptoms can develop from either. Post traumatic headaches are very common and may last from six months to several years.