Head Position During Accident May Be Important For Whiplash Treatment Outcome
One out of every five people (20 percent) involved in a rear-end collision later have neck pains, which may develop into whiplash, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Statistics from The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show that whiplash is reported in about 2 million insurance claims per year in the United States, at a cost of $7 billion a year.
The speed of the cars involved is not indicative of the severity of neck injury that may occur as a result of the accident. Speeds as low as 15 mph can produce enough energy to cause whiplash in individuals riding in the car, regardless of whether they are wearing seat belts.
Facet Joint Injury Effects Whiplash Treatment Results
Volvo's WHIPs System is effective for decreasing whiplash injuries sustained during accident
Researchers have found that head position is an important factor in whiplash, and for whiplash treatment outcomes. Vehicle occupants who have their head turned at the moment of impact are much more likely to be injured compared to those looking straight ahead.
During normal flexion and extension of the neck, each vertebra contributes equally to the overall movement of the neck. This results in smooth, regular curving of the spine. This flowing motion is made possible by the facet joints—small, stabilizing joints between each vertebrae. During normal spinal movement, these facet joints slide across one another, allowing the spine a wide range of motion backward and forward.
Up until 1996, researchers took it for granted that the spine moved the same way during a rear-end collision as it did during normal activities. The whiplash motion was seen as normal position before the impact: extension backward, rebound motion forward and then back to normal.
Japanese Whiplash and Whiplash Treatment Research:
In 1996, Japanese researchers discovered that, in actuality, a totally different type of motion occurred in a rear-end collision. They discovered that the occupant starts out in the normal position. As the back of the seat is accelerated forward, the torso moves with it, which straightens the spine. At the same time, the occupant is sliding up the seat, causing an upward motion of the spine. The head remains stationary because it is not being accelerated forward.
As the seat continues to push the torso forward, a rapid and violent differential motion between the upper and lower cervical spine is created. The Japanese researchers discovered that at this crucial point in time, the lower cervical spine bends dramatically while the rest of the spine remains straight. They discovered that this rapid bending caused the joints to exceed their normal range of motion.
The conclusions reached by the Japanese researchers have been replicated in many studies conducted since 1996. These continuing studies have also provided more knowledge about body motion in a rear-end collision, and whiplash treatment.
Researchers in the United States extensively studied the motion of the facet joint in a rear-end collision, and discovered that during the rapid bending phase, the facet joints were pinched and the ligaments stretched beyond their normal range of motion. A torn or stretched ligament is a very serious injury and can result in extreme pain. If left untreated, ligament injuries can cause permanent disability.
The position of your head during the whiplash accident, is a determinate of the severity of whiplash injuries sustained and will have an effect on the intensity and duration of your whiplash treatment care plan.
