The Silent Danger of
Whiplash Injuries
Over three million whiplash injuries occur each year resulting from motor vehicle collisions. Of these whiplash injuries, 500,000 people will have chronic problems and up to 300,000 will have some degree of disability.
Whiplash is also considered a silent injury in that serious systemic health issues can take days, weeks, months or even years to develop.
Supporting Resources
There is consistent evidence for hypersensitivity of the central nervous system to sensory stimulation in chronic pain after whiplash injury.
-JOURNAL OF FORENSIC AND LEGAL MEDICINE, Davis, C. Mechanisms of Chronic Pain from Whiplash Injury. 2013 Feb;20(2):74-85
Whiplash injuries not only increase your chances of chronic neck and shoulder pain; they also increase the probability of many other health problems and issues.
-JOURNAL OF CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, Berglund A. et al. The Association Between Exposure in a Rear-end Collision and Future Health Complaints. 2001;54(8):851-856
The damage to the vehicles involved in collisions is no indication of the extent of the injuries imposed on the passengers.”
RUTH JACKSON, M.D., The Cervical Syndrome. Springfield, IL: Thomas Publishing, p. 61
Certain kinds of trauma to the brain and the spinal cord, including whiplash injuries, may act as a trigger for the appearance of symptoms associated with Multiple Sclerosis.
-ARCHIVES OF NEUROLOGY, Poser, C.M. Trauma to the Central Nervous System May Result in Formation or Enlargement of Multiple Sclerosis Plaques. Arch Neurol. 2000 Jul;57(5):1074-1077
The longest-running study ever done on whiplash patients looked at their overall health almost twenty years after their automobile accident. More than fifty-five percent of those patients still deal with chronic pain and discomfort every day.
-ACCIDENT ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION, Hartling L., Pickett W., Brison R. Vol. 34, Issue 4, July 2002; pp. 531-539
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Whiplash injuries can have long-lasting effects that extend well beyond neck pain. Contact us today to learn how Chiropractic care can support recovery and protect long-term health.