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HEALING WHIPLASH INJURY | CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS CAN BE CAUSED BY WHIPLASH
Did you know that there are approximately 6 million reported car accidents each year?(1) Many people experience whiplash trauma, however few people understand the far-reaching effects that it has on human health. There is a general notion that people who claim injury from whiplash accidents are making it up, but the forces involved in whiplash trauma tell a different story. In this blog we would like to explore how whiplash trauma affects the upper cervical spine and the central nervous system.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE NECK DURING A WHIPLASH INJURY?
When someone sustains a whiplash injury it is due to the quick acceleration and then deceleration. In a rear end accident there is first a quick acceleration of the head forwards and then the head is whipped backwards in the deceleration. In low impacts it appears that the lower cervical spine sustains the most injury (2). However, in higher velocity collisions it appears that the upper cervical spine sustains more injury upon extension of the head as it whips backwards. The rapid whipping motion damages the supporting soft tissues causing them to become swollen and irritated. The joints that are affected misalign as a result of this type of injury. Once the segment is misaligned the deep muscles of the neck become spastic and if not corrected chronic neurological issues follow.
Three things result from whiplash trauma
- Injuries to the soft tissue cause pain, restricted motion and vertebral misalignment.
- Muscle spasms becomes chronic as the damaged soft tissue leads to abnormal joint mechanics in the neck.
- Abnormal bio-mechanics of the C-spine lead to long-term irritation to the central nervous system-chronic health problems.
WHAT CAN SOMEONE DO THAT IS SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT RESULTED FROM A WHIPLASH INJURY? VISIT A BLAIR UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTOR
Listen to what one of our patients has to say about her recovery from whiplash injuries after receiving Upper Cervical Care
Upper Cervical Care is a little known procedure that focuses its attention on the neck and skull junction. This critical junction houses the brain-stem which controls and regulates most of the functions in the human body that are not under your conscious control. Whiplash injuries have a cascade of effects on the central nervous system which can lead to chronic health problems. The most common conditions we see in our offices that have resulted from whiplash injuries are, Post Concussion Syndrome, Neck Pain, Meniere’s Disease, Vertigo, Migraine Headaches, Cognitive problems, Insomnia and fibromyalgia to name a few.
