| Everyday hundreds of auto accidents occur and the | | | | injuries. Whiplash is indeed a serious health problem. |
| occupants are injured. Fortunately, the majority of | | | | Whiplash must be treated. Contrary to what most |
| these injury victims do not suffer fatal injuries. That's | | | | insurance company reps will claim, these injuries do |
| the good news. The bad news is, most of the | | | | not simply go away on their own. But not all |
| occupants suffer injuries that they may not be | | | | treatments work. Hard medical evidence suggests |
| aware of or are mistreated by other doctors. | | | | that certain types of treatment are far superior at |
| The "Problem with Whiplash" is that very few people | | | | treating this problem. [iv] |
| truly understand it. | | | | A study by Woodward, Cook, Gargan and Bannister |
| Well meaning emergency room physicians, general | | | | [v] found 93% of the patients studied under |
| medical doctors and even many chiropractors do not | | | | chiropractic care for chronic whiplash injuries had |
| fully appreciate the extent of injury suffered by | | | | improved. They further stated "...no conventional |
| these patients. A recent survey found that a | | | | (medical) treatment has proven to be effective in |
| significant percentage of family practice and | | | | these established chronic cases." |
| orthopedic physicians question the validity of whiplash. | | | | Without understanding these basic truths about |
| [i] | | | | whiplash, the general population is at the mercy of |
| Worse yet, these doctors cannot prove to the | | | | the insurance industry. The insurance companies |
| insurance companies, lawyers and juries that the | | | | know the facts and they spend millions of dollars |
| injuries are real. The end result is that whiplash | | | | each year to hide them. They use high-powered |
| victims are given short shrift in terms of poor | | | | attorneys to fight claims and intimidate people. |
| documentation, inadequate treatment, and low | | | | If you have been injured in an auto accident it is |
| compensation for their injuries. | | | | important to remember whiplash is real, it can be |
| The first thing to realize about whiplash type injuries | | | | serious and it must be treated properly. The key to |
| is that they are real. The current medical literature is | | | | successfully treating whiplash injuries is to find a |
| filled with objective research validating this type of | | | | medical provider who specializes in this area and that |
| injury. [ii] Further, the research indicates that injuries | | | | has a long track record helping accident victims |
| can occur at surprisingly slow speeds and sometimes | | | | recover from their injuries. The specialist must also |
| even without much car damage. [iii] | | | | be able to document your injuries precisely and |
| Next, whiplash injuries can remain hidden for weeks, | | | | communicate effectively with your attorney, the |
| months, and even years before telltale symptoms | | | | insurance company and in court if necessary. |
| emerge. [iv] | | | | ======================= |
| Another fact to realize about whiplash is that it is | | | | References: |
| serious. Even minor accidents can cause significant | | | | [i] Evans RW, Evans RJ, Sharp MJ. The physician |
| changes in the delicate nerves, ligaments, muscles | | | | survey on post concussion and whiplash syndromes. |
| and discs of the neck. At the onset, the problems | | | | Headache. 1994;34:268-274. |
| may seem minor, but given enough time without | | | | [ii] Barnsley, Lord, Bogduk, Whiplash Injury Clinical |
| proper care, the spine will dysfunction. Eventually | | | | Review, Pain 58, 1994, pp. 283-307 |
| arthritis occurs and the end result is permanent | | | | [iii] Koji Kaneoka, Koshiro Ono, Satoshi Inami and |
| neurologic damage and loss of overall health. | | | | Koichiro Hayashi (99-04-15). "Motion analysis of |
| Worse than arthritis, many whiplash accidents can | | | | cervical vertebrae during whiplash loading." Spine |
| result in mild forms of brain injury known as "post | | | | 24(8): 763-770 |
| concussion syndrome" or "traumatic brain injury". This | | | | [iv] Smith J. (1993). "The Physics, Biomechanics and |
| is more prevalent in side impact collisions, but can | | | | Statistics of Automobile Rear Impact Collisions." Trial |
| occur in rear or front-end accidents as well. These | | | | Talk: 10-14. |
| concussive injuries often result without hitting the | | | | [v] Woodward, Cook, Gargan and Bannister (1996). |
| head. Still other researchers have linked Alzheimer's | | | | "Chiropractic treatment of chronic 'whiplash'." Injury |
| disease and chronic fibromyalgia with whiplash type | | | | 27(9): 643-5. |