Any sudden acceleration or deceleration of the human body that snaps the head and neck backward, forward, or to the side can seriously injure the neck’s tissues. Technically, such injuries are termed hyperextension and hyperflexion injuries. Popularly they are called whiplash.
WHIPLASH EASY TO COME BY
The cause may be almost any misdirected action involving momentum or force such as a fall on the stairs, a sports mishap, a fall on ice … any accident which causes a snapping movement of the head and neck.
AUTO ACCIDENT USUAL CAUSE
An automobile rear-end collision is the most frequent whiplash event. About 4 million rear-end collisions occur each year, and each of them – even mild ones – carries the potential for whiplash neck injury.
NECK HAS ITS LIMITS
Not that the human neck is weak, nor is it susceptible to injury from every force that comes its way. The strength and flexibility of the cervical spine (neck area) make it a structural marvel. But the neck does have a limit to its range of motion. When that limit is exceeded through a sudden, forceful movement, whiplash injury to some degree is almost assured.
WHIPLASH IN AUTO ACCIDENTS
In an auto, because the seated person’s back is in direct contact with the auto’s seat back, a rear-end collision instantly propels the body forward with great force. This causes the head and neck to snap backward violently. An immediate reflex contraction of the neck muscles then snaps the head forward. Hence, the expression whiplash. Those lashing actions put great stress on the soft tissues of the neck (muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, nerves) as well as the neck bones (vertebras).
TYPICAL WHIPLASH INJURIES
- Vertebral subluxations that pinch nerves
- Spinal disc fibers tom, discs separated
- Stretching, tearing of neck muscle fibers, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, nerves
- Blood vessels bruised, blood supply altered
- Vertebras injured
- Vertebras separated
- Neck’s normal curve altered
This sketch below, gives a rough idea of how the human head (weighing eight to twelve pounds) lashes back and forth in a rear-end collision. Imagine what happens to the neck tissues including the vertebras and nerves. Chiropractors, due to their unique expertise in recognizing and treating structural problems, give whiplash injuries expert attention and care.
SYMPTOMS MAY LAG
Some symptoms may show immediately or within a few hours following a whiplash injury. But damaged, injured tissues often degenerate slowly, so sometimes symptoms don’t develop for several days. Sometimes several weeks go by. Occasionally, several months elapse before symptoms present themselves.
TYPICAL WHIPLASH SYMPTOMS
- Headache
- Restricted neck movement
- Head, neck, shoulder, arm pain
- Pain between shoulders
- Dizziness
- Fainting or “weak feeling” spells
- Head, neck, shoulders, arms feel heavy and tired
- Sense of balance altered
- Ringing in ears
- Hearing diminished
- Frequent nausea
- Low back pain
- Numb, cold, tingling hands, feet, arms, legs
- Heartbeat rapid, irregular, fluttery, pronounced
- Frequent anxiety, irritability, memory lapse
CHIROPRACTIC EXAM AT ONCE
A whiplash victim should have a thorough chiropractic examination as soon as possible after the accident to determine the extent of injury and what to do about it.
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