Can Whiplash Really Happen to YOU?
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Clear Lake Area Chiropractor Comments: You’re stopped at a red light awaiting a left turn into the grocery store when out of nowhere, you hear the screeching of tires, you turn your head and look into the rear view mirror and see that you’re about to be hit from behind. Then “POW!” The sudden force of the impact propels you back into your seat; your head hits the headrest and then bounces forwards, almost hitting the steering wheel. You feel your body twist due to the angle of the seat belt and your sunglasses fly off and your purse sitting on the seat next to you flies into the dashboard and lands on the floor spilling its contents. You’re not sure what just happened as it all happened so fast. Is this a dream?
Can Whiplash Really Happen?
After collecting yourself and calming down, you get out of the car to inspect the damage and talk to the driver that just ran into you. You notice that right now, you don’t really hurt that much…. but you feel kind of dazed. When you inspect your car, you surprisingly notice very little damage, but it sure felt like your car should be totaled based on the way it felt. The other driver said he was checking the station on the radio and saw you too late. He tried to stop and slammed on the brakes but it was too late. He said, “…I couldn’t have been moving more than 5-10 mph when I hit you!” You ask, “How could this possibly feel so….. hard an impact? Was he lying to me? Do I have Whiplash? Can whiplash really happen?” There certainly wasn’t much damage to your car…maybe he was right??? When he asked you if you would, “…let it go,” and not call the police, you almost agree, but something stops you. Even though there is little car damage and, “…he is a nice guy….,” you just don’t feel right in, “…letting it go.”
Within 15-30 minutes, you’re REALLY HAPPY you didn’t give in and take his advice as by now, your neck is really starting to hurt. You feel kind of nauseated and light headed. Your head is beginning to pound and you feel like you better sit down. When the police officer approaches he seems distant and you’re having difficulty hearing him. Pretty soon, you notice others helping you onto a stretcher and attaching a neck brace prior to taking you to a local emergency room. At the ER, you are confused about the details of the accident but piece together the best you can the events of the evening. They take x-rays, recommend some Advil and ice, and tell you to contact your primary care physician if you have problems. They tell you that you’re going to hurt for a few days and “…that‘s normal.” However, over the next several days, pain intensifies to a point where neck and headache pain is constant, you can’t sleep, your memory seems blurry, you can’t seem to concentrate and loose your place during thought and conversation…. something is REALLY WRONG!
Low Speed Collision Related Injury
This scenario is not atypical of a low speed collision related injury. In fact, the less the car is damaged, the greater the impact is to the contents inside the car (this is called “elastic deformity”). That’s because crushing metal absorbs the energy of the force (ie, “plastic deformity) and if the speed is “…too low” and little metal crushing/energy absorption occurs, the G-forces that occurred during the collision are transferred to the contents inside the vehicle and that force can be significantly greater than a crash that occurs at 2-4 times the 5-10 mph speed. In general, when there is less damage to the car, be alert that the force exerted on the contents is greater than when car damage occurs. This is why when cars crash during a car race, the race car basically falls apart, leaving the driver enclosed in a cage that prevents bodily damage, and they often walk away from the accident.
If you, a loved one, or a friend is struggling with whiplash residuals from a motor vehicle collision, you can depend on receiving an in-depth assessment and therapeutic approach at our chiropractic facility.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Whiplash: Where Is My Neck Pain Coming From?
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Houston Chiropractic Doctor Comments: Last week while driving to work, you’re stopped at a red light and glance in the rearview mirror and notice that a car is approaching from behind way too fast. The next thing you remember is the squeal of the tires and a loud crash with an accompanied sudden jolt as your car is propelled forward by the impact. Your initial reaction is one of shock, wondering is anyone hurt? How bad is my car damaged? Will there be another hit? Should I get out of the car? I’m going to be late for work! Within a few minutes, the police arrive and after about an hour of taking statements from the two drivers and a few witnesses, you decline an ambulance offer to take you to a nearby hospital for an examination as, “…this little stiffness and ache in my neck is no big deal.” Happy you can still drive your car, you arrive at work an hour and a half late. After reviewing the details of the crash with co-workers several times, you begin to notice a headache, your neck stiffening up and movements becoming limited and painful. After another couple of hours and a few Ibuprofen, the neck pain has increased and you now have a whopping headache. You decide, “I better go see my chiropractor to see if something is wrong.”
After the exam and x-rays, the chiropractor shows you a chart and explains the mechanism of injury that usually occurs in a low 
speed rear-end collision. A couple of things that were said really hit home in helping you to understand how such a seemingly minor crash can create so much pain. The first is that it is not possible to voluntarily contract a muscle quick enough and “brace” to prevent the acceleration of the head. Upon impact, as the car is propelled forwards, the head initially goes backwards and then when the muscles in front of the neck are stretched to their limits, the head is then “whipped” forwards in a “crack the whip” type of response and all of this takes less than 600-700 milliseconds! Because of the far limits of neck motion being reached during this process, the ligaments that hold the vertebra together are often stretched and/or torn. This can be appreciated on the bending neck x-rays which shows one vertebra sliding forwards on the one below and the angle created being greater when compared to the surrounding vertebra. The second point of discussion that stands out was the fact that your head was rotated at the time of impact from looking in the rearview mirror places the neck at a greater risk of injury because of the twisting motion that occurs during the “crack the whip” process. Another interesting point: because there wasn’t a lot of car damage, the shock and force of the impact was not absorbed by crushing metal and that energy is therefore transferred to the contents in the vehicle, including the occupants. That is why your briefcase ended up on the floor and your glasses flew off during the crash. Another point of discussion was made concerning the difference between genders and the degree of injury, as women are more likely to be injured more severely because of the less muscular and sometimes longer female neck. The degree of injury is also at greater risk when there is osteoarthritis in the neck that pre-exists the crash. An analogy of how a young sapling branch can bend without breaking verses the “old oak branch” which snaps and breaks when its only bent slightly. So, if you are a middle aged, female with a long slender neck with pre-existing arthritis looking in the rearview mirror prior to impact in a rear-end collision, ligament over stretching / tearing is highly probable.
In summary, it is important to obtain prompt evaluation and treatment by your chiropractor as soon as possible as when time passes without treatment, it is more difficult to bring about a reduction of pain and increased motion and, it will generally take longer. Taking medication for pain only postpones the needed process of restoring movement and function of the neck so that should not be the only treatment. In general, a “wait and watch” approach is not wise in these types of injuries. If you or a loved one is suffering with whiplash, sharing this information may be one of most significant acts of kindness that you can give to those that you care about.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Whiplash – The Cause of Pain
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Houston Chiropractor Comments: Many patients ask the question: “…why do I hurt so much now, and hardly hurt at all right after the accident?” Another common question is: “…why neck pain after a minor car collision can last so long?”
A study that investigated chronic pain and dysfunction in whiplash cases reported a soft tissue origin for injuries associated with low-speed collisions. This means the pain comes from the muscles, ligaments, joint capsules, the disk, but not from a pinched nerve that would send pain down the arm and/or create hand numbness or grip weakness. The study also reported the point at which the neck buckles would only take one fifth to one-fourth of the weight of the person’s head (approximately 2.5 to 3 pounds) if one were to remove all of the supporting muscles, ligaments, and joint capsules. With the muscles and soft tissues intact, there is a very complex buckling pattern that occurs in the neck during most rear-end collisions where the lower half of the neck bends opposite to that of the upper half creating an S-shaped curve (when looking at the neck from the side). When this occurs, the vertebrae in the lower half of the cervical spine extend backwards while the upper half flex forwards, stretching the ligaments beyond the maximum elastic point and tissue tearing occurs. When ligaments stretch or strain, microscopic tearing starts at only 3-5% of tissue strain and when the strain reaches 7-8%, the ligament begins to lose its load carrying capacity and more significant tearing occurs. Unfortunately, none of this can be seen on a standard x-ray and usually goes undiagnosed.
Many variables exist that make assessing the amount of tissue damage difficult to predict or understand. One of these variables is the strength and amount of elasticity of a ligament prior to tearing. Also, the age, gender, and phenotype – that is, skinny, normal, or over weight – makes a difference. Generally, due to a reduced muscle mass in a female compared to most males, women are at greater risk of injury. The position of the person in the car, whether a seatbelt was used or not, if the head was turned before impact, if the collision was anticipated prior to impact, the speed at which one person compared to another can voluntarily contract a muscle are all additional factors affecting the degree of injury and corresponding pain. Another factor is the size of the spinal canal (the place where the spinal cord runs from the brain to the low back) as some people are born with narrow canals, making them more susceptible to injury. Other neurological variables include the degree of the excitability of the nervous system as the more excitable, the lower the pain threshold and pain is perceived more quickly. The type of pain from the deep tissues (ligaments, joint capsules, etc) is different than pain arising from superficial tissues as the former lasts longer and doesn’t follow known neurological pathways into an arm. Also, over time, if pain becomes chronic (pain lasting >3 months), a significantly lower pain threshold is found in these cases vs. normal control subjects.
Hence, when discussing your case with our office, it is important that you share your history of the accident, the time it took after the impact for symptoms to be initially noted, whether it is gradually worsening over time, and any other symptom that is unique to your situation that may not have been discussed here.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment with the best chiropractor in Houston or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Whiplash Problems Down the Road
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Clear Lake Chiropractor comments: Whiplash injuries of the neck and spine commonly occur in motor vehicle collisions. Even minor impacts with little vehicle damage can put significant stress on the spinal ligaments, disks, and delicate nerves. Some people get symptoms right after the accident (which is a very bad sign) but most people feel somewhat unscathed, at least initially.
It’s important to think how spinal injuries can affect you over the long term. When ligaments are injured, there can
be substantial changes over the years, such as arthritis and disk degeneration.
A study in the science journal SPINE (Dec. 15, 1994) looked at fifty patients with MRI and bending x-rays, one and five years after injury. The researchers found that neck pain persisted in 24/50 (48%) patients and radiating pain developed within 6 weeks in 19 patients or 38%. Radiating pain occurs when a disk protrudes and bulges onto a nerve root exiting your spinal column. In patients with these persistent symptoms, the MRI was helpful in showing the disk injury.
Although surgery is considered by many, most patients do well under conservative, even minimal care. It’s important to consider non-surgical options first, since surgery does entail substantial risks, and how well it works is also subject to debate.
X-rays and palpation are used to see the posture of your neck and how the vertebrae move in stressed positions. These tests can help determine how your spine functions and whether the disk is injured and/or also if you have pre-existing signs of arthritis, which can impair how you resist and recover from trauma.
Chiropractic adjustments are directed at reducing pain and improving mobility in spinal areas that are blocked. In general it’s important to keep your neck moving while you recover. Staying in bed and not moving the spine at all are not advised since this can impair recovery. Even patients with severe injuries can have some movements preserved and these should be encouraged.
Because symptoms and even disk disease can show up later, it is important to have a detailed neurological examination following a neck injury. Whiplash trauma is significant, especially when you consider how many patients still suffer years down the road with neck and arm pain. Getting diagnosed properly is the first step to determining what type of care will be best for you.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
