Whiplash
Whiplash - What is it? And what can we do about it?
Have you ever been involved in a car accident? Most of us have at one time or another. Whiplash is a common term for the type of injuries which may occur when there are sudden acceleration-deceleration forces.
As your head is quite heavy, and is balanced on top of a flexible neck, if there is sudden acceleration or deceleration it will swing forwards or backwards, and may cause minor or major damage to the tissues of the neck. For example, if your car were to be hit from behind, the car would be suddenly pushed forward, and with it the car seat and your body - but the inertia of the head causes it to lag behind, stretching the front of the neck. Then the elasticity of the neck tissues cause the head to swing rapidly forwards – stretching the back of the neck.
Similar scenarios would happen if the car were to be hit from the side, or the front, with the head swinging in different directions. It’s not just motor vehicle collisions which can cause whiplash – this type of injury can occur in skateboard accidents, water skiing, a very sudden fall - or even head banging at a music event!
Car seat headrests are not really meant for resting your head, they are a safety device to prevent your head from swinging too far backwards in a rear-ender type of collision. So check your headrests today! If you are tall and the headrest is too low, it will not protect you properly – they are usually easy to adjust up or down as required.
The violent whip-like movements of the head may result in painful injuries to the muscles, ligaments and joints of the neck, and other parts of the body may also be affected. Headache and neck pain are the most common symptoms. followed by pain in the shoulder girdle. There may be swelling, muscle spasm, and neck stiffness. If the nerves to the upper limbs have been stretched or compressed, there may be tingling, numbness or weakness in the arms or hands. In severe cases the brain can be injured as it too has been banged inside the skull.
Symptoms may appear immediately after the incident or have a delayed onset of a few hours or days. Many people recover within a few days or weeks, but for others it may take several weeks or even months to experience positive changes in symptoms.
If you have been affected by a whiplash type of injury it is very important to seek treatment as soon as possible. Your Osteopath will endeavor to help your body return to it's normal, pain free, state including guiding you through the process of recovery with appropriate exercises to gradually regain strength in the affected areas. Your Osteopath will also check the rest of you, not just your neck, as the incident which resulted in your whiplash may well have affected other parts of the body which will also require attention.
Have you ever been involved in a car accident? Most of us have at one time or another. Whiplash is a common term for the type of injuries which may occur when there are sudden acceleration-deceleration forces.
As your head is quite heavy, and is balanced on top of a flexible neck, if there is sudden acceleration or deceleration it will swing forwards or backwards, and may cause minor or major damage to the tissues of the neck. For example, if your car were to be hit from behind, the car would be suddenly pushed forward, and with it the car seat and your body - but the inertia of the head causes it to lag behind, stretching the front of the neck. Then the elasticity of the neck tissues cause the head to swing rapidly forwards – stretching the back of the neck.
Similar scenarios would happen if the car were to be hit from the side, or the front, with the head swinging in different directions. It’s not just motor vehicle collisions which can cause whiplash – this type of injury can occur in skateboard accidents, water skiing, a very sudden fall - or even head banging at a music event!
Car seat headrests are not really meant for resting your head, they are a safety device to prevent your head from swinging too far backwards in a rear-ender type of collision. So check your headrests today! If you are tall and the headrest is too low, it will not protect you properly – they are usually easy to adjust up or down as required.
The violent whip-like movements of the head may result in painful injuries to the muscles, ligaments and joints of the neck, and other parts of the body may also be affected. Headache and neck pain are the most common symptoms. followed by pain in the shoulder girdle. There may be swelling, muscle spasm, and neck stiffness. If the nerves to the upper limbs have been stretched or compressed, there may be tingling, numbness or weakness in the arms or hands. In severe cases the brain can be injured as it too has been banged inside the skull.
Symptoms may appear immediately after the incident or have a delayed onset of a few hours or days. Many people recover within a few days or weeks, but for others it may take several weeks or even months to experience positive changes in symptoms.
If you have been affected by a whiplash type of injury it is very important to seek treatment as soon as possible. Your Osteopath will endeavor to help your body return to it's normal, pain free, state including guiding you through the process of recovery with appropriate exercises to gradually regain strength in the affected areas. Your Osteopath will also check the rest of you, not just your neck, as the incident which resulted in your whiplash may well have affected other parts of the body which will also require attention.
