Women Most Likely To Suffer Whiplash Injury In An Auto Accident

Yep, you heard it!  Most commonly a whiplash injury is thought of when someone gets rear-ended in the car.  Really though you can get hit from any direction, and your head will get "whiplashed".  In fact it may happen in other places than the car.

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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!

I Thought I Can Only Get Whiplash From A Car Accident

Technically whiplash is any rapid back and forth or side to side motion of the body. We most specifically use the term to refer to the neck going forward and back. It’s most often used when someone is in a car accident that involves a collision and the head and neck jerks forward and back, causing muscle, tendon, and ligament strain, vertebral shifts, and sometimes worse.

But in actuality anything that can cause your neck to “whip” back and forth is whiplash. A fall on your back, a roller coaster, a collision of your body with another, like in contact sports, are just a few examples.

Whiplash is one very common way to lose your neck curvature. If you were told you’ve lost your neck curve due to a whiplash injury or trauma, it can be from something like the examples I have given. A lot of times it happens even when we were kids. The spine shift never corrects and causes neck pain, headaches, or upper back pain in the future.


Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief.


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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

Can Whiplash of the Neck cause shoulder pain?

Whiplash injuries can cause many different symptoms beyond the usual neck pain that most people associate it with. Pain, dizziness, headaches, fatigue are other possible symptoms. Depending on the type and velocity of a collision, other body parts can get injured such as the midback, hips, and even the shoulder. According to one study published in the Journcal of Orthopedic Surgery, out of 220 patients with whiplash, 26% suffered shoulder symptoms- and 5% suffered an impingement syndrome.

An impingement syndrome arises because of referred pain from the neck and nerve injury to the muscles that stabilize the shoulder. These shoulder muscles include the rotator cuff muscles. The rotator cuff is formed by the tendons of 4 muscles: teres minor, subscapularis, supraspinatus and infraspinatus. Direct trauma can also occur from the pressure supplied by a seatbelt during a front end collision. Cartilage damage and muscle sprains can occut. Furthermore, the acromium
can affect the tendons of the rotator cuff muscles and other soft tissues just under this bone. Finally, there are bursa (fluid filled sacs) surrounding the shoulder which can become swelled, causing pain at night. The pressure within the rotator cuff muscles increases, which results in compression and loss of blood flow in the smaller blood vessels. This reduction of blood flow causes the muscle tissue begins to fray like a rope. Activities such as reaching up behind the back and reaching up overhead to put on a shirt can cause pain.

Sometimes whiplash sufferers have shoulder pain which is thought to stem from the neck; therefore an impingement syndrome can often be overlooked. If these muscles are injured for a long period of time, the muscle can actually tear in two, resulting in a rotator cuff tear. This creates a weakness in the shoulder and it is difficult to complete simple tasks as elevating ones shoulder. This can delay proper treatment, thus causing chronic pain, and possibly disability.

You should have a proper history, consultation and phsyical examination to determine if you have an impingement syndrome. One diagnostic tool is via a shoulder MRI. It can show if the labrum (cartilage surrounding the bone) can break way causing pain. Inflammation of the surrounding tendons can also occur.

So when you have whiplash and shoulder pain- think of other things that can be causing the pain in your shoulder.

Source: Subacromial Impingement in Patients with whiplash injury to the cervical spine; Journal of Orthopedic Surgery 2008;3:25, Abbassian A. Giddins GE.

Multiple Car Accidents can cause major changes in the neck

Have you been involved in multiple in car accidents? Have you had multiple incidences of whiplash in your neck?
Whiplash Motion that occurs
with an Motor Vehicle Accident

A recent study shows that persistent whiplash motions can cause changes in kinesthestic sense and motor control in the neck. However, the evidence is still inconclusive particularly for differences between whiplash patients and patients with chronic traumatic neck pain.

The aim of this study was to investigate motor control deficits in Whiplash patients and compare them with chronic non-traumatic neck pain and healthy controls in relation to cervical range of motion (ROM), conjunct motion, joint position error and ROM-variability.

This study involved three different groups: 59 patients with persistent whiplash associated disorderss (WAD), 57 patients with chronic non-traumatic neck pain and 57 asymptomatic volunteers.

A 3D motion tracking system (Fastrak) was used to record maximal range of motion in the three cardinal planes of the cervical spine (sagittal, frontal and horizontal), and concurrent motion in the two associated cardinal planes relative to each primary plane were used to express conjunct motion. Joint position error was registered as the difference in head positions before and after cervical rotations.

The results of this study showed decreased conjunct motion found for WAD and chronic neck pain patients compared to asymptomatic subjects. This was most evident during cervical rotation.

Reduced conjunct motion was not explained by current pain or by range of motion in the primary plane. Total conjunct motion during primary rotation was 13.9 degrees (95 % CI; 12.2-15.6) for the WAD group, 17.9 degrees (95 % CI; 16.1-19.6) for the chronic neck pain group and 25.9 degrees (95 % CI; 23.7-28.1) for the asymptomatic group.

As expected, maximal cervical range of motion was significantly reduced among the WAD patients compared to both control groups. No group differences were found in maximal ROM-variability or joint position error.

Conclusions: Altered movement patterns in the cervical spine were found for both pain groups, indicating changes in motor control strategies.

The changes were not related to a history of neck trauma, nor to current pain, but more likely due to long-lasting pain. No group differences were found for kinaesthetic sense.

In other words, whiplash type injuries can cause lasting effects in your neck reducing the normal motion especially the ability to turn your head!

Author: Source: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2008, 9:90, Author: Astrid Woodhouse and Ottar Vasseljen

Loss of Curvature in the Neck- "military neck"

"oh my neck really hurts... I cannot turn my head" "My Neck is stiff..." - is that a constant health complaint for you? Neck pain affects many aspects of our life. Working on the computer, reading, looking back to check your blind spot while driving- can really aggravate neck pain and stiffness. For those who look further into it and have a proper examination with x-rays of their neck will find that they do not have a proper C-curve in their spine. Particularly this can be seen when we look at a lateral cervical spine radiograph:. Enough can not be said about the importance of the cervical curve. When bones of the spine lose their normal position or motion, sensitive nerves and blood vessels to the head can be affected. When spinal nerves and related tissues are stretched or irritated they can symptoms such as headaches and neck pain. Aspirin and medication may cover up these warning signs, but do not correct the underlying structural cause. Many patients with neck pain have lost the normal forward curve in the neck. Ultimately, this can affect the brain stem and spinal cord.

A customer who was dealing with neck pain, neck stiffness recently wrote in our website. This customer ordered a Cervical Traction Neck Pillow:

"I have been dealing with back and neck pain for 10+ years. My x-rays show a complete loss in the curvature of my neck, a permanent head tilt, and a curvature in my spine to compensate for my head tilt. I've been to the chiropractor again and again, tried roll pillows under my neck at night (so uncomfortable) and popped tons of advil. Minimal relief.


Then I ordered this pillow. The first night I used it I woke up the next morning with much less pain than usual. The next night I slept soundly and had even less pain in the morning. I have been using this pillow every night for three weeks now, and I wake up feeling great. The best part is, my neck is still okay by the end of the day! The pain stays at bay.


Sure the pillow takes a little getting used to, you can't move around much, but I am willing to sacrifice rolling around in bed at night for a pain free tomorrow!"


Arc4life Cervical Traction Neck Pillow



Cost of Neck Pillow: $67.95
Shipping: UPS or Post Office: $12.90 (ships within 2 days)
Color: White
Dimensions: 24"x17"
Weight: 1.5 lbs
Shipping Weight: 3.6 lbs
Fits: Standard Pillow Case
Indications: Neck Pain, neck stiffness, pinched nerve in neck, sore neck, disc herniation in neck, military neck, loss of cervical curve, Cervical Brachial Syndrome, Cervical Radiculopathy, Cervical Disc, Cervical Degeneration, Neck Fusion, Cervical Sprain, Cervical Strain, Whiplash, Neck Injury
To order the Cervical Traction Neck Pillow: Click Here

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