Whiplash Injury Risk Factors
Injuries related to an auto injury occur instantaneously. Unfortunately recovery from whiplash and other injuries resulting from the wreck may take longer than usual. In fact these injuries can last a lifetime. Below is a list of risk factors associated with whiplash injuries.
Dr. Hall is a whiplash chiropractor specially trained in identification, treatment and documentation of these injuries. If you have been injured in an automobile injury, call Hall Chiropractic for a no-charge consultation to determine if he can treat your whiplash symptoms.
Call or text Hall Chiropractic at 803.412.2240 today to schedule your FREE Health Consultation.
Immediate symptoms following the crash (i.e., within 12 hours and/or severe initial symptoms)
Patients who reported pain immediately after their whiplash injury were more likely to have pain two years’ post-injury.
Headache
Patients who experience headache immediately after a whiplash type injury are at greater risk of long term symptoms.
Initial Neurological Symptoms; Radiating Pain into Upper Extremities
Symptoms of pain, burning, numbness and or tingling point to a more serious and potentially longer lasting injury.
Initial Physical Findings of Limited Range of Motion and Pain
Injury leading to cervical spine loss of range of motion is frequently the cause of prolonged disability.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6643566/
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/12056293_The_relation_between_initial_symptoms_and_signs_and_the_prognosis_of_whiplash
Loss or Reversal of Cervical Spine Curve
The patient’s 50% loss of normal cervical lordosis places her at greater long term risk from whiplash injury.
Female Gender
Women are more likely to experience long-term disability from motor vehicle accident injuries than are men.
Lightweight Female
Females less than 130 pounds are most vulnerable for whiplash injuries.
Head Turned at Time of Impact
Rotated head posture at the time of rear impact caused significantly greater neck injury severity and more complex injuries, as compared to facing forward.
Front Seat Position
Human nature leads to more head motion of those seated in a car’s front seat. Neck injuries are often caused due to head motion / asymmetric position.
Non-awareness of Impending Crash
The occupant unaware of impending collision is 15 times more likely to sustain injuries leading to long-term pain.
- Panjabi MM, Ivanic PC, Maak TG, Tominaga Y and Rubin W: “Multiplanar Cervical Spine Injury Due to Head-Turned Rear Impact,” Spine, v. 31, number 4, pp 420-429, 2006. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16481952/
Use of seat belts /shoulder harness
Although seatbelts have saved innumerable lives, restraining the lower body isolates the cervical spine’s biomechanics, putting it at greater risk of long term whiplash injury.
Rear vs. other vector impacts
Rear impact whiplash injuries accounting for 65% of all personal injuries leading to medical disability.
- Nygren A: Injuries to car occupantsâsome aspects of interior safety of cars. Acta Oto-Laryngologica (Suppl #394), 1984.
Impacts by a vehicle larger in size (Greater Mass)
Newton’s second law shows a direct relation between risk of injury in whiplash and the relative weight of vehicles.
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3217563/
Call or text Hall Chiropractic at 803.412.2240 today for an appointment or your FREE Health Consultation.
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Car Accident Care
