Neck & Back Pain Caused by a Car or Auto Accident

Since the advent of seat-belts and shoulder harnesses, there has been a threefold increase in the number of neck injuries. But that is a small price for the many more serious injuries and deaths seat-belts have prevented. As beneficial as seat-belts are, painful neck, back and whiplash  associated injuries may still occur in even minor collisions.

Whiplash Simulation

Many people are surprised to find out that you can have little or no damage to the car but have significant injury to your neck or back including headaches, dizziness and anxiousness. Often a car with little damage exerts much more of the force of impact on the occupant, causing bodily harm.

 Whiplash/ Neck Injury

When whiplash occurs as a result of a car accident, our relatively heavy head, which is delicately balanced on seven small neck vertebrae, is rapidly jolted back and forth. Because the forces are so great and that the actions so fast, the deep support structures of our spine-the muscles, tendons and ligaments that hold our head erect-get injured. Instead of being slowly stretched with normal motion, these tissues are rapidly yanked. This is similar to what happens to Silly Putty when it is quickly pulled the tissues tear rather than stretches. This causes back & neck pain.

Proper early treatment of whiplash/neck injury is crucial to reduce symptoms and prevents long term pain and disability. It is not good enough to take some pain relievers  and muscle relaxes with a “wait-and-see” attitude.

Current medical research recommends immediate active care, including mobilization, chiropractic manipulation, exercise and acupuncture . However, even if treatment is delayed, the patient can still benefit from medical attention. Spinal structures are injured; there are three important phases of healing.

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Phases of Healing

The first phase is the acute inflammatory phase, lasting 2 to 7 days. This is when decreased activities, ice therapy and pain medications are most effective.

The second phase , and most important, is the repair phase, lasting up to three months. This is the time the body deposits cells where the tissues are torn. Guiding proper cell formation is similar to the importance of a good level solid foundation in the construction of a house. Because of injury, deep muscles of the spine go into spasm  and restrict the bones of the neck  to lock up or become dysfunctional and, if they are not skillfully stimulated to move  properly again, the body will tend to heal with the lowest grade cheap scar tissue the body can manufacture-that is, less elastic, pliable and strong. This reslults in long term pain and stiffness.

However, when skillful manipulations, coupled with specific exercises, the body “wakes up” and says “we will need this neck again” therefore, healing with a with much higher quality tissue that is stronger, more flexible and almost normal.

The last phase is the remodeling phase, which could take up to a year. Optimal healing will occur if a lifestyle is developed consisting of regular exercise and proper spinal posture coupled with good ergonomics.

When whiplash occurs, treatment goals should include not only pain relief but also, more importantly, stimulation of the injured region to promote healing to its optimum level. This will allow the patient to return to active life more quickly, as well as reduce the chances of recurrence of symptoms.