Hidden Whiplash Injuries

Years ago I had an accident and walked away thinking I was “o.k.”  But months later I noticed I had a stiff neck, and I’d never had stiff neck before.   I started to have headaches and I’d never had that before.  I thought I was fine after the wreck, but I wasn’t o.k.  People do get hurt in accidents.  There are outrageous forces produced, even at low speeds.  Accidents can cause hidden injuries that can appear months later.  Without proper care these problems can last a lifetime.

True Story
Years ago when I was young and naïve, a friend offered me a ride home.  I didn’t know he was drunk and accepted.  He took off with me and another person in the back.  He was driving so erratically we started to scream.  “Slow down, are you crazy? Stop right now!”  He was out of control and flipped the car!
               
Turning a car over is the worst possible thing that can happen.  The chances of survival from this kind of accident are slim.  I didn’t realize how hurt I was till months later, when I noticed stiff neck and headaches for the first time in my life.  These problems developed into more serious lifetime issues that I still have because of this crash.

Ordinary Doctors Unqualified
I visited a medical doctor who told me “don’t worry, just go home and the pain will go away.”  Unfortunately the pain didn’t go away.  It got worse over time.  I didn’t realize that cars weigh thousands of pounds and as they gather momentum can impact the delicate spine and nervous system with tremendous force.  People get hurt and endure hidden injuries.  Years later they suffer arthritis in the spine, discal problems and permanent damage to the nervous system.

Scientists Know Whiplash Is Serious
My colleagues who research accidents have shared the results of crash tests.  They state that research confirms significant injuries can be sustained even at low speeds, even if there is no damage to the bumper.  The instruments inside crash test dummies register significant traumatic forces without damage to the car at all.

People assume incorrectly that if there is no damage to the car, there is no damage to the occupants inside.  This is not true.  You can have minimal or no damage to the car and significant injuries to the occupants.

Unfortunately one in ten families will be involved in an accident this year.  It is a very stressful part of modern life.  Injuries may take months to detect.  Many times people receive care that does not address their significant underlying problems.  They may even go to the hospital and receive anti-inflammatory pills.  They are very often misinformed that “everything will be alright” (the same way I was).  They don’t realize that sometimes there are hidden injuries.

Typically people have only one thing on their minds after an accident, their car.  They want to know who will fix their car.  When will they be able to drive it?  Will their insurance rates go up and who’s going to pay?  They forget about themselves and don’t realize that they have significant problems like;

Textbooks say these symptoms can take months to appear.  Many times they result in permanent injuries like “post traumatic osteoarthritis.”

Osteoarthritis can ruin your spine and posture.  It can cause the discs that separate the back and neck bones to degenerate.  It can lead to difficulty with even simple movements like turning the neck.  Most doctors are not trained in detecting these hidden injuries.

Our Center Is Different
We do special studies at our center that help detect hidden injuries due to structural damage to the spine and nervous system.

Waiting can be dangerous, these injuries are serious.  They can be much more harmful than a broken bone.   Fractures heal well, but injuries to the soft tissues surrounding the spine heal with scar tissue.  This leads to future pain and suffering.  Ligaments, nerves, blood supply all can be damaged and contribute to post traumatic osteoarthritis.  The following scientific articles support the fact that accidents lead to debilitating arthritis.

Scientific Proof Whiplash Can Lead To Lifetime Pain
In one study, x-rays taken an average of 7 years after whiplash injury showed neck disc arthritis was present in 39% of the patients.  The control group only showed a neck disc arthritis incidence of 6%.  The authors concluded “thus, it appeared that the injury had started the slow process of disc degeneration.” (The Cervical Spine Research Society, 1989)

In another study of patients with whiplash injuries but with preexisting degenerative arthritis of their neck, x-ray evidence of new degenerative changes at another level in their neck occurred in 55%.  (The Cervical Spine Research Society, 1989)

A single whiplash injury can increase the incidence of neck spinal arthritis by 10 years compared to people who have not been in a whiplash accident.  (The Journal of Orthopedic Medicine, 1997)

Get Proper Care
Getting the right care immediately helps prevent arthritis that follows whiplash injury.  Our care is very gentle and virtually painless.  It is safe for children and the elderly.  We will listen to you.  We’ll make sure your care is affordable by investigating your insurance coverage.  In many instances you’ll pay nothing for effective care that eliminates the cause of the problem.  Call (303) 394-CARE (2273).  Call now.

©2011