Whiplash is an injury to the soft tisssues of the neck, including ligaments, joint capsules, muscles and their tendons. Often overlooked is injury to the intervebral discs. It can often involve the nervous system tissues in more severe cases.
The degree of severity can be decreased or maybe avoided completely with the following: The use of seatbelts, placing the headrest close to the head (less than 1 inch) and high enough to avoid “ramping” over it. Placing the seat back more vertical or upright can help. Do not partake in distractive activities while driving (does this sound like you can even try??) such as cell phone use, adjusting the radio, taking your eyes off the road, reading a book putting on make up, well you get the idea. With the various physics of injury, having your head twisted the “wrong way” can lead to a much more severe injury. Bracing yourself has not been shown to very helpful-whiplash happens too quickly to voluntarily brace your neck muscles. For athletes, wear appropriate protective gear when engaging in sporting activities and use proper form/technique.
Plug for Chiropractic: Chiropractors have a unique advantage over other health care providers as spinal manipulation and other manual therapies (Graston technique) have been show to yield the highest levels of satisfaction and faster recovery rates compared to other forms of health care. You can depend on receiving a multi-demensional assessment and therapeutic approach at this office.
Be Well,
Dr. Hayes

Filed under: Uncategorized by admin on July 30, 2009