Whiplash is a unique condition that requires a skilled health professional specially trained to work with muscular and ligamentous injuries. Most patients who have had whiplash injuries report improvement with chiropractic treatment, because it is effective in treating the cause of the injury and does not just treat the symptoms.

During a rear-end automobile collision, which takes place in about two to three-tenths of a second, your head is thrown backwards so forcefully and quickly that your body does not have time to respond. With such a sudden and forceful movement, your head is whipped backward and then forward. Your neck can get thrown out of balance. The force can damage the vertebrae, nerves, discs, muscles, and ligaments of the neck and spine and even reverse its natural curves. This can cause headaches, dizziness, pain in your neck, jaw, shoulders, arms, hands, mid back, low back, and legs. You can also feel arm, hand, leg, and foot numbness and tingling. Sometimes these symptoms aren't felt until days, weeks, or even months after a whiplash has occurred. These problems can also occur in front or side impact collisions as well. The following is a brief demonstration of what happens in a rear-end collision.

Normal movement of the cervical spine is a smooth motion in which every vertebral segment contributes evenly. Whiplash motion is completely different from everyday motion of the neck. Very early in the whiplash collision, the lower cervical spine experiences a rapid bending while the rest of the cervical spine remains relatively straight. This rapid motion and bending can strain and jam the facet joints of the cervical spine, resulting in tearing and inflammation of the joints.

The facet joints are the key to normal healthy spinal motion. The facet joints are at the rear of the vertebrae and are angled backward. During normal spinal motion, these joints glide over one another smoothly and evenly. Notice the abnormal facet motion, and areas of injury.

We now know that a major source of pain is from the nerves of the facet joints, and that these nerves can radiate or refer pain to other body areas. Another area of the spine that is frequently injured is the disc. The disc is a cushion, or shock absorber, located between the vertebrae. A special test called MRI, safe and painless, can show the damage of these important structures that separate the spinal bones. At Comprehensive Health Care Systems, we know how to effectively diagnose and treat people of all ages who have experienced a motor vehicle collision.

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