Low Velocity Whiplash Accidents
 Regardless
of cause, the most common observation consistent among most auto accident
cases is that many did not seek immediate clinical attention only to see
the condition get worse.
Many past accidents that go untreated have an impact on current symptoms.
Low Velocity Impact and Whiplash (LVW) is a leading cause of this symptom
complex. The old adage that "if nothing hurt then nothing was injured"
could not be more misleading. Present research continues to prove that
these low speed accidents especially whiplash can indeed cause many problems,
some of which may be life long if not corrected.
According the American Chiropractic Association, Motor Vehicle Accidents
(MVA) are one of the most common reason people seek chiropractic treatment.
The Department of Transportation is estimating that this year MVA's will
exceed 8,000,000 across our nation. Of these more than sixty percent will
report no injury. This is quite alarming to the chiropractic profession
which has long maintained that the effects of low force impact can cause
many non-symptomatic or delayed response type conditions. Research has
shown that structural breakdown or degenerative changes are found to be
associated with the effects of previous MVA injury and which eventually
produce the symptom expressive condition.
At Oregon Chiropractic Services we explain the basic definition of LVW
as one in which the body is at rest and upright while strapped into the
seat when a sudden impact, either by deceleration (hitting an object)
or acceleration (being hit by another object) During:
- 1st PHASE, there is movement of the lower torso with respect to that
of the head which remains stationary
- 2nd PHASE, the force transcends up the spine with the head moving
in opposite directions to that of the torso. Injury to the side of the
neck opposite the direction of force occurs.
- 3rd PHASE, the event culminates with rebound of the head and upper
back toward the direction of force because of restraint and many times
produces injury to the opposite side.
- Once the human body is subjected to the physical forces of
- break in inertia
- created momentum and
- gravity, instability is established with potential injury.
Present research in Low Velocity Whiplash like that produced by Michael
D. Freemon, DC, PhD, of the Department of Public Health and Preventive
Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University; Portland, Oregon and Arthur
C. Croft, DC, the Spine Research Institute of San Diego; San Diego, California,
continues to reflect that impact injury of a subtle nature can still affect
each vertebrae of the spine and often produce symptoms that are days,
weeks and at times many months after an accident
It is statistically quite probable that many of the unreported injuries
have since caused or have been related to specific symptoms or conditions.
These conditions may have been much easier to treat if an earlier diagnosis
was made.
Oregon Chiropractic Services invites you to call us with your health
concerns. With chiropractic care we may be able to help you heal in a
gentle and natural way just as we have for many others.
|
