Can I Get Whiplash from a Fall?

Can one get whiplash from a fall? You bet. Think of this, you're in a car accident and hit from behind - your head whips back and forth a few times. Do  you think  the same things happens if you are om the basketball court and get completely clobbered by a defender? Or maybe slip on the ice and fall on your back?The answer to that one is a resounding yes. Same Thing!

Your head, neck and spine gets flung forward and back. The biggest thing when this happens ist hat you can lose our very important neck curve. Remember that optimal c spine curve is somewhere between 30 degrees to 60 degrees. The arc4life traction pillow and using a traction unit is a great way to restore that curvature.

Additional reading resources:

• What to Do After a Motor Vehicle Whiplash Accident.
• How does Whiplash Occur?
• Neck Traction for restoring the curve in your neck
• Arc4life traction pillow FAQ's
• Simple Tips to Keep a Healthy Neck

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Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

Part 4: Reducing Whiplash injuries by 90% - just by changing one thing in your car

Whiplash injuries can cause chronic neck pain and discomfort for years after an incident. It may appear to be a simple back and forth motion at the time of the accident, but the symptoms associated with whiplash are very serious and long lasting.

Dr. Brian Stemper, Ph.D., a biomedical engineer at the Medical College of Wisconsin has studied whiplash injuries for over 10 years. He is researching ways to improve the risks associated with whiplash by working directly with car maker to reduce injuries associated with rear end collisions. Dr. Stemper states that the top of
your head restraint should be about even with the top of your head or as high as
you can get it, depending on how tall you are. Ideally, you should have the head
restraint as close to the back of your head as possible.

"You want to set your head restraints so that it's very close to the back of your head," he explained. "Each time drivers and passengers get in a car, they should be sure the head restraint is correctly positioned to minimize injuries."

Dr. Stemper created a mathematical computer model of the head and neck and studied it using simulated rear-end collisions. The computer response was examined in 57 different measures of realistic spinal motion. The model can be used to determine quantifiable data on soft tissue distortions in humans. As Dr. Stemper explains, the model shows that "auto head restraints positioned less than 2.4 inches from the back of the head kept ligament stretch within the physiologic range." Simply going by these guidelines, many acceleration- deceleration (whiplash type accidents) can be could be prevented. It is when the restraint distance goes beyond 2.4 inches that whiplash occurs.

Head rest position is crucial, because when the head rest is too low and far back, injury is more likely to occur.
By placing the rest level with the top of your head and two inches or less from the back of it, head movement is reduced and whiplash prevented.
Next time you get in your car, check the position of your headrest, and don't forget your seatbelt either !
Read more about Whiplash in our Special Whiplash series:
Part 1: Can whiplash cause shoulder pain?
Part 2: How does Whiplash Occur?
Part 3: What Symptoms are associated with a whiplash type injury
Visit us on the web at Arc4life.com

Part 3: What Symptoms are associated with a whiplash type injury?

A Whiplash injury often occurs in an instant, often in the blink of an eye- but the symptoms associated with whiplash can last for a long time- sometimes many months and even years. Often times, the patient thinks that the symptoms will go away on their own and not do any type of treatment. This can result in chronic pain. As we mentioned in our last blog post (What Causes Whiplash?), many times whiplash occurs with a rear end motor vehicle collision. Symptoms can be neck pain, headaches, dizziness, memory problems, unsteadiness, fatigue and lower back pain, according to the Spine Research Institute of San Diego. Many times, symptoms do not show up immediately after the accident, but 24 to 48 hours later. The primary symptoms of a whiplash injury include stiffness in the neck, muslce spasms, shoulder pain as well a decrease in the range of motion of the neck. More seriously, whiplash can affect something that cannot be seen- the soft tissues of the cervical spine and cause spinal cord injury; it is therefore very important to seek professional treatment and to take the right steps to prevent future whiplash injuries. This one simple quick jerking of your head can cause a lot of unforeseen pain in the future, affecting many aspects of your life.

Read more about Whiplash in our Special Whiplash series:
Part 1: Can whiplash cause shoulder pain?
Part 2: How does Whiplash Occur?
Visit us on the web at arc4life.com
Photo by Flickr: Cayusa

Part 2: How does Whiplash Occur?

Whiplash is also known as Cervical Acceleration Deceleration or (CAD). It often occurs with a rear end collison which causes the vehicle to move forward from the impact. When this occurs the torso is shoved back into the seat, which loads the seatback. As a result, both the neck and head rise upwards, coming in contact with the headrest. Due to the position of the headrest, whiplash can occur. According to Dr. Brian Stemper (a Biomedical engineer at the Medical College of Wisconsin) "Whiplash injuries occur before the head rotates as its moving backward relative to the thorax; the key is the relationship between the head and the chest, Injuries tend to occur in the beginning phases of a car accident, he added, and women are five to percent more susceptible to the injury because of the flexibility in their cervical spines."

Read more about Whiplash in our Special Whiplash series:
Part 1: Can whiplash cause shoulder pain?
Visit us on the web at arc4life.com