Whiplash

Whiplash injuries have been extensively studied and researched. There are literally thousands of medical and scientific studies, and hundreds of books describing every aspect of whiplash and soft tissue injuries. It has been firmly established for nearly two decades that the primary whiplash injury is an inertial soft tissue injury to the soft tissues (ligaments and muscles) of the facet joints and disk joint of the cervical spine.

During a rear-end auto accident, the vehicle that is struck from behind will quickly move forward. As the vehicle moves forward, so do the passenger seats in the vehicle. As the passenger seat moves forward, so does the trunk of the passenger sitting on the seat. However, the head of the passenger in the seat does not move forward because the head has a separate inertia from the trunk. As the vehicle, the seat, and the trunk move forward from the collision, the head remains at rest, forcing the neck backwards. The result is an inertial injury to the soft tissues of the joints of the vertebrae in the cervical spine. Importantly, the neck does not hit anything; it sustains an inertial injury, similar to that seen in shaken baby syndrome. This injury involves no physical contact; rather, the injury is inertial.

There is a lot of misunderstanding regarding soft tissue injury and its repair. The most common misconception is that injured soft tissue will heal in a period of time between four and eight weeks. Frequently, it is claimed that injured soft tissues will heal spontaneously, leaving no long-term residuals, and that treatment is not required. This type of information is very misleading and confusing. Get the facts regarding auto accident injuries and proper diagnosis and treatment for auto accidents.