Dealing with Whiplash in San Diego CA

The most often cause of whiplash is when there is a sudden slow down or stop while driving a motor vehicle. The injury occurs when the person cannot steady themselves for the impact, even when they are aware of the imminent collision. Because the injury occurs in less than one second, the muscles rapidly contract involuntarily and the person does not have the time to physically respond in time. There are several other factors that increase the damage from whiplash that we have seen at our chiropractic clinic in San Diego CA.

• If you are driving a small target or large bullet vehicle
• If the incline angle of the seat you are sitting in is too steep
• If the headrest is positioned improperly
• If the back of the seat is bouncier than normal
• If the person has a long, slender neck (a physical feature found more often in women than men)
• The degree of a person's head rotation at the moment of impact

Most of these factors are out of the control of the person, so then the question is how do x-rays help in determining the extent of the injury?

Example

As an example that includes most of these factors, we will look at the typical rear-end collision that often results in whiplash. A woman driving a compact car has her seat belt on and is stopped in traffic. The headrest is too low for her driving position. Behind her is a bullet vehicle (a truck carrying 750,000 pounds of cargo) that is heard slamming on its brakes. She looks to see what is going on behind her in her rear view mirror. The truck hits her, pushing the car forward. Her head snaps back at first, slightly moving over the top of the headrest, then accelerating forward without impacting the steering wheel. Then her head returns to the normal upright position. She reports that she feels physically shaken up.

Upon visiting her chiropractor, she is examined and the following results are reported.

• Pain is present at the endpoints of the neck where forward and backward bending occurred
• Headaches
• Numbness in the left arm that extends to the thumb of the hand
• Weakness in other arm and wrist muscles

The doctor writes an order for a flexion-extension cervical spine x-ray.

The x-rays are shown to the patient, and the doctor explains what she is seeing.

"This middle x-ray shows why you are in pain. This is a reversed cervical curve that shows what happens when you bend forward, but notice how little your head and spine have moved forward? The ligaments have been either stretched or torn, what is commonly known as a sprain. Forced forward with enough force, the head and neck areas will be affected by either torn ligaments or bones being broken. When ligaments are torn, the bones above and below become slightly separated. If you look closely at the x-ray you will see that the vertebra (C4 over 5) appears to be sliding forward. This is further evidence of torn ligaments, resulting in a loss of stability."

Be Proactive

Choosing your healthcare providers is an important decision. Our goal is to gain your trust and confidence in allowing us to help you with your whiplash case. We look forward to continuing that relationship with other family members and friends. Contact Biophysics Chiropractic today to learn how we can help you.