Understanding Whiplash
Whiplash is described by a hyperflexion and hyperextension of the cervical spine or neck. This could also be considered a hyper-acceleration followed by a hyper-deceleration.
Current literature suggests that individuals involved in a car accident can suffer from Whiplash associated symptoms in 83% of cases. Greater than 50% of those injured report ongoing neck pain one year after the accident(1).
Whiplash is associated with a ton of symptoms such as neck pain, headaches, symptoms in the upper quadrant, radicular complaints, paresthesia, muscle weakness, Temporomandibular joint problems, visual disturbances, vertigo/dizziness, low back pain, tinnitus, difficulty sleeping, hypersensitivity to light or noise, fatigue, impaired cognitive function, diminished concentration, irritability, and memory loss.
The amount of vehicular damage after an accident does not always correlate with the degree of whiplash injury. Most modern cars have shock absorbing bumpers that minimize damage to the vehicle but not necessarily to its occupants. In a "vehicle to vehicle" crash involving both vehicles' shock absorbing bumpers, it is estimated that the minimum speed to cause visible damage is approximately 15 mph. This 15 MPH collision is well above the documented threshold of bodily injury. Rear-end impacts of five mph or less routinely give rise to significant symptoms.
It is important to have a proper diagnosis following a traffic accident. At this office you receive a thorough history and physical examination to truly understand the pain generators and make sure there is nothing more serious happening. There is no one size fits all treatment for whiplash; it may require manual adjustments, flexion distraction/traction, muscle rehabilitation exercises, or myofascial techniques. We do all these techniques and customize what we do on an individual basis.
Nolet PS, Côté P, Cassidy JD, Carroll LJ. The association between a lifetime history of a neck injury in a motor vehicle collision and future neck pain: a population-based cohort study. European spine journal. 2010 Jun 1;19(6):972-81.
