Whiplash - How Can You Protect Yourself?

A healthy neck and back-comprised of bony vertebrae, nerves, muscles and ligaments-are structured to provide support and stability for the head and body, as well as for flexible movement. Since a sudden jolt to the body can easily traumatize the spine, it's no surprise that car accidents are a common cause of neck and back injuries. If can be a low impact to cause a serious injury in an auto wreck.

How, then, can you protect yourself?

In addition to driving safely and being alert, wearing a seatbelt is the most effective way to prevent or mitigate neck and back injuries from a motor vehicle accident.

The most prevalent neck of injuries involves the muscles and ligaments. The term whiplash conveys a visual of the head being whipped around, but the term more specifically describes a situation in which an abrupt halt forces the head to move suddenly in one direction and then jerk back. The neck can be hyper-extended, for instance, if it is forced backward beyond its ordinary limits or hyper-flexed if excessively forced forward. More severe neck and back trauma would include fractured or dislocated vertebra, as well as damage to the spinal cord. Paralysis, both permanent and temporary, is also major cause of concern in cases of extreme trauma.

Even though whiplash sounds like an ordinary kind of injury, it should not be taken lightly. Marked by pain in the neck, shoulders, head or base of the skull, whiplash can also produce blurry vision, ringing in the ears, weakness, fatigue, problems with concentration, and memory issues. While studies show that patients who are destined to recover completely from whiplash will do so within approximately four months, after that time the rate of improvement noticeably slows down. Beyond the two-year mark, almost all whiplash sufferers will have attained their maximum degree of improvement, and up to 20 percent end up with varying degrees of chronic pain. Truck collisions can impart more force to the spine and for that reason it is good practice to avoid trucks on the highways and roads of Georgia.

When involved in an auto accident that causes severe neck or back pain to you or another person, it's vital to wait for a paramedic or other professional rather than moving around. Immobilizing the accident victim can avoid risk of further injury. Also, immediate medical care should be sought. Even if injuries to the head and back seem mild or moderate, the individual harmed should be checked by a physician, preferably by an spine specialist. If not treated immediately, these injuries can become highly difficult to treat over time months later.