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What Is Whiplash
Whiplash is a term that describes injury that occurs usually as a result of a car accident, but also from other types of accident. The most common type of car accident is the rear impact, and most typically, the occupant in the vehicle that gets "rear-ended" (hit from behind). The occupant's head is rapidly forced backward and then forward, like the end of a whip. Trauma such as this can cause numerous types of symptoms, including:
How Does Whiplash Occur?
The entire whiplash crash sequence takes just a fraction on a second, but the resulting injuries can last a lifetime. Upon impact from behind, the struck (or target) vehicle begins to move forward into the occupant, making contact through the seat back. The occupant's inertia resists this motion. As the seat back continues to move forward, it begins to push the occupant. Initially, the occupant's middle back curve is flattened by the seat back. This force is transmitted through the spine and pushes the head upward.
Since the occupant's torso accelerates faster than their head, the neck rapidly extends, often striking the headrest or top of the seat. The occupant's head then begins to accelerate forward and at the same time, their torso begins to stop, often with the help of a seatbelt and the head snaps to a stop. This happens so quickly that people involved in these types of crashes often report that their head moved forward first. To picture this better, see the slow motion videos of rear impact crashes with no car damage. During the crash, the neck experiences compressive and shearing forces which can stretch or tear the soft tissues of the neck, such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, or discs
Pain from a whiplash injury may not be immediately felt by the victim. Patients often say that they told a police officer at the scene that they were not injured, only to realize hours, days or even weeks later, that they were. Immediately after an accident adrenaline may block the pain. In other cases, inflammation due to tissue damage and/or bone displacement may take time to build to the point where the patient feels pain. For these reasons we recommend that you call us at 1st Care to arrange an examination as soon as possible after the accident. We can identify whether you have experienced an injury even before pain symptoms appear. Additionally, if inflammation develops and goes untreated, it may get considerably worse and potentially cause chronic pain issues.
Over the years, we have seen thousands of patients suffering from whiplash. Our gentle care helps to alleviate pain, restore normal function, strengthen the injured areas, and prevent untimely arthritis or degeneration of the injured areas.
If you have been an accident, call 1st Care now (203) 288-7300
1st Care Chiropractic - 1700 Dixwell Ave, Hamden, CT 06514-3147 (203) 288-7300 info@1stCareChiro.com