• It is estimated that 15-40% of those who are injured in a motor vehicle collision will suffer from ongoing chronic pain.(Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 2007)

• 
  Whiplash injuries not only increase the incidence of chronic neck and shoulder pain, it also significantly increases the incidence of other systemic ill health effects. In other words, whiplash injuries cause more than neck pain and headache, it hurts the health of the entire body.(Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 2001)

• That essentially 100% of those who are suffering from chronic pain caused by a whiplash injury will have an abnormal psychological profile with standard assessments, and the only way to resolve the abnormal psychological profile was to successfully treat the chronic spinal pain. Psychotherapy was not able to improve the abnormal psychological profile, nor was it able to improve the patient’s chronic pain complaint.(Pain, 1997)

• 
  In the longest study ever performed on whiplash-injured patients (a study looking at the health status 17 years after injury), 55% of the patients still suffered from pain caused by the original trauma.(Accident Analysis and Prevention, 2002)

• 
  90% of those who are initially given a cervical collar for their whiplash injuries will be suffering from chronic neck pain 6 months later.(Spine, 2000)

• 
  2% of whiplash-injured patients will have severe pain and problems that require ongoing medical investigations and drugs 7.5 years after being injured.(Injury, 2005)

• 1 in every 100 (1%) people on our planet suffer from chronic neck pain caused by whiplash injury.(Pain, 1994)

The Motor Vehicle Collision Injury Problem

 
Statistically, every American can expect to be in a motor vehicle collision once every ten years.

Motor vehicle collisions have been the number one cause of death of our children for decades.

Since 911 (September 11, 2001), about 3,000 Americans have died as a consequence of terrorism; about 360,000 Americans have died in motor vehicle crashes.

Since the start of the American Revolution in 1775, about a million Americans have died in our wars. Since Henry Ford introduced the mass-produced motorcar in 1913, more than 2.5 million Americans have met their deaths on the road.

And millions of Americans who did not die from motor vehicle collisions were injured.

The Bottom Line…

To understand whiplash injury and treatment, it is most important to know the answers to these three questions:

• What tissues are injured in a motor vehicle collision?

• 
  What tissues are the primary sources for chronic spinal pain?

• 
  What tissues are primarily affected by the chiropractic adjustment?
  
  Astonishingly, the answer to all three questions is the same:

The tissues in and around the spine, including but not limited to the facet joints and the tissues of the disc joints

Consequently, it is inevitable that some whiplash-injured patients will develop chronic pain and that chiropractic is often the best management choice for these patients.

 How Soon Should You See A Chiropractor AFTER A Car accident?

I  am commonly asked "When should I see a chiropractor after an accident?" Patients are regularly misinformed on when the right time to see a Doctor of Chiropractic following
a motor vehicle soft tissue accident.

Many times people are told "Don't go in right away, wait 2 months and then go in if you still hurt." Well, that could NOT be further from the truth.In FACT, you should make an appointment to be evaluated ON your way home from the accident. Studies are now showing that the earlier gentle chiropractic treatment begins the less long term problems that result.

That's right, beginning care within 24 to 48 hours AFTER an accident  enhances the recovery process. So CALL your chiropractor IMMEDIATELY, get in, get evaluated, get under care. In our office, we implement a combination of gentle adjustments with light massage techniques to help with swelling and pain
immediately following an accident.

We then guide the patients through exercise instruction, posture education and of course specific chiropractic spinal adjustments. By the way, whiplash can cause DISC damage, you should see a chiropractor who is versed in the spinal decompression table as it can get INCREDIBLE results with people who have had whiplash accidents.

Things you should know after an accident

1. Have your insurance company open a medical claim. You may be injured and not realize it at that moment.  Pain is usually the
     last to come. The first few days after an accident are most critical.
 
2. Do see your doctor even if your symptoms are slight, they may be a sign of more serious problems to come as result of  the    accident.

3. You may be eligible for up to 10,000.00 or more in PIP and lost wages benefits. Do not sign any paper work from your insurance company until you understand it completely.

4. The longer you wait to see a doctor, the longer it will take you to recover.

5. You may be eligible for personal injury protection benefits, even if the accident was your fault, or if you do not own a vehicle, your auto insurance, (PIP) will cover you for your medical bills.

6. If you were a bicyclist or pedestrian, you may be eligible for up to 10,000.00 in PIP benefits through your own insurance company or the  vehicle that hit you.