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
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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