subject: New Evidence That Whiplash Injury Lasts Longer Than We Thought [print this page] A accident where one driver rear-ends another is a very regular occurrence in The United States. It causes property damage and also injury from small to large. 83% of these accidents cause injury where the occupant is diagnosed with whiplash.
Doctors used to believe that having a whiplash injury was just a temporary condition and for some crash victims, that is true. However, new research in the long-term effects of neck injuries from the European Spine Journal has confirmed the association between having a neck injury from a motor vehicle collision and future neck pain.
In the study the researchers followed accident victims in six month increments. 73% of people show symptoms after one year.5% of the accident victims still had recurrent episodes of neck pain.
Whiplash is defined when the soft tissues of the neck are injured by a sudden jerking or "whipping" of the head". Whipping motion causes the ligaments and muscles to be torn or stretched, far beyond their normal motion range. Even though you may be wearing a seatbelt, the belt will keep your body from moving forward but the head may snap forward, then backward, causing pain and sometimes serious long term pain.
In addition to neck pain, other symptoms may include muscle and ligament pain, headache and dizziness. Impingement syndrome of the shoulder is also noted in 5% of the reported injuries. This injury causes pain to radiate from the neck to the shoulder. Treatment for this type of syndrome is difficult and it should be considered if this type of pain continues.
One the best deterrents of WAD in a rear end crash is the head restraint. In 2009 statutes were enacted to require a head restraint in all cars. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Rule is requiring head restraints to reach a minimum height of 29.5 inches upward from an occupant's hip and must be at least 2.2 inches behind the person's head.
Even though new head restraint laws will diminish whiplash-type injuries, an insurance survey revealed that 40% of drivers never adjusted their head restraint devices and 57% never readjusted them after someone drove their automobile. Only 14% of drivers actually knew the correct position that they should be in. It is not an apparatus to rest your head, it is a device to prevent your head from moving in a sideways motion during a rear end crash. The main point to remember is that the top of the head restraint should reach at least as high as the top of your ear and be set back no more than 3 inches from your head.
Different vehicles respond differently in an accident. Also posture and height of an individual will cause more or less injury. To find more information on the head restraint ratings for your car, visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety web site.
Adjust your head restraint. Sitting upright with good posture is not only better looking, but is can save you from injury as well. Make sure you sit back in your seat so that your head rests close to the ehad restraint. If you want to minimize injury from whiplash, be sure to follow these guidelines.
by: James Ballidis
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