Of course, the best way to prevent an auto injury is to avoid having an accident but unfortunately not all accidents are preventable and regardless of how careful we are or how many precautions we take; accidents happen.
Whiplash is the most common injury associated with motor vehicle accidents, affecting up to 83% of those involved in collisions. What is whiplash? What can you do to prevent it, minimize the effects of it and treat it?
What is Whiplash?
Whiplash is a non-medical term used to describe neck pain that results from an injury to the soft tissues of the neck (i.e. ligaments, tendons, and muscles). Whiplash is caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head, either backward or forward, that causes movement beyond the neck's normal range of motion.
Whiplash Prevention
HEAD RESTRAINT: When multiple people share the use of one vehicle, adjust the head restraint for each driver, making sure it's positioned according to the height of each driver and locked in place. The likelihood of injury is greatly increased if the head restraint is not adjusted for each driver.
SEAT BELT: BUCKLE UP! Although the seat belt by itself will not prevent whiplash, it will help to prevent your body from lurching forward completely during a crash, even a low-impact one.
NECK EXERCISES: The stronger that your neck muscles are, the less they will be affected by sudden movement. Exercise won't prevent whiplash, but neck exercises will strengthen the soft tissues of the neck and can make you less susceptible to forcible forward and backward neck jolts.
Treatment Option
CHIROPRACTIC CARE: Chiropractors are the single largest group of practitioners that treat whiplash injuries; their care focuses on relieving spasm in the soft-tissue, inflammation, and pain by restoring proper motion in the spinal column. Following up with muscle strengthening exercises has proven to be very beneficial.
MASSAGE THERAPY: Massage is one of the most effective therapies for releasing tension in the muscles and helping the musculoskeletal system to regain balance. Massage therapy can help to relax the muscles, reduce stress and tension, increase and maintain range of motion, improve circulation, and break down and prevent scar-tissue from forming. In my 25+ years of experience treating whiplash, I've found that combining chiropractic adjustments with massage therapy has been proved to be a highly effective form of treatment.