Auto injuries

Auto Accident & Injuries

It is estimated that there is about 3 million whiplash injuries per year in the USA, according to Dr. Arthur Croft of the Spine Research Institute of San Diego. Couple this with several outcome studies that show that 12% to 86% of whiplash victims will still have pain years after their crashes, points out the epidemic nature of whiplash. At Reynolds Chiropractic & Acupuncture Clinic, we are auto injury specialists. We have an excellent success rate at providing chiropractic care for auto injury patients in San Antonio.

What is Whiplash?

The term whiplash was used historically to describe the movement of the neck during the injury phase of a crash. More recent research shows that the movement of the neck is more complicated than the motion of whip. The important thing to know is that the head and neck of the injured person is accelerated 3 to 5 times faster than the acceleration of the car. This sudden change in speed (about 1/10 of second) produces the damage to the structures (muscles, nerves, ligaments, etc.) and causes neck pain and other problems.

Whiplash Symptoms

When people think of whiplash they think of neck pain. There are several other symptoms that accompany neck pain, however. There may be headaches, jaw pain, shoulder pain, arm pain, hand pain, numbness and tingling, as well as brain injuries. Brain injuries may show up as memory loss, irritability, insomnia, depression, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), concentration problems, etc. Patients may also have pain in other parts of their bodies other than the neck pain. Lower back pain is also common in car crashes, as are leg injuries from hitting the dash board or other structures in the car.

Car Accident Injury Treatment

I have an obvious bias that chiropractic care is by far the best treatment for whiplash injuries, hands down. This is also backed up though by a group of orthopedic surgeons from England. In a study done by Gargan, Bannister, et al, they reported in the British Journal of Orthopedic Medicine that chiropractic care for chronic whiplash patients was superior to medical, acupuncture and physical therapy treatments. Patients reported higher satisfaction with chiropractic care 2 to 1.

Whiplash Prevention

Believe it or not there are certain things you can do to prevent being injured in a car crash. Practice good defensive driving skills. Know where other cars are that surround you. That means paying attention while you drive. This gives you an edge to avoid a collision if possible. Adjust your headrest properly. It's estimated that only 1/3 of the headrests are properly adjusted. This means having it at the right height for the driver. The middle of the headrest should be at the middle back of your skull. This will stop your head from rotating forward or backward during impact. Finally, if you know you're going to get hit it does help to brace for the impact.