General Whiplash Information
Whiplash injuries are more serious than once thought.
Whiplash is a progressive Injury. Once injured, recovery is a life long journey in most cases.
Whiplash Injury Whiplash injuries can become a life long disabling disease process.
What Happens?
Initial Trauma Can Causes Ligament Instability
Why you get hurt!
Progressive Disease associated with Instability.
This requires IMMEDIATE AND SPECIFIC TREATMENT!
Without the correct treatment in a timely manner, connective tissue and ligaments will NOT heal correctly in most cases, and muscle can change into fat, leading to continued progressive spinal instability!
Fatty infiltration of para-spinal muscles diagram
Microscopic view of loss of ligament structure
This Can Lead to A Chronic Pain Cycle due to Changes in Spinal Biomechanics over time!
Diagram Design by Dr. Ming Kao, Stanford Medicine @DrMingKao
As well as Progressive Neurological Disorders!
Reverse S curve = injury
It’s not just a sprain/straight
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Ask the neurosurgeon if a loss or lordosis in the cervical spine can cause Myelopathy or CN injury. They will most likely say no.
Incapacitating symptoms:
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Myelopthy
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loss of horizontal gaze
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Dysphagia
Expected injuries with every whiplash trauma!
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Facet joint injury
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Disc injury(rim lesion and annual tears)
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ALL and PLL Ligament Tear
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Brainstem injury (CN)
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Vestibular injury
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Concussion
Whiplash is not merely a soft-tissue injury; it represents a complex neurological disorder involving the cervical spine and central nervous system
Cervicocephalic Syndrome (Whiplash) common symptoms
Sensorimotor / Balance
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Disequilibrium or unsteadiness
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Postural instability (especially when eyes are closed)
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Impaired balance in dynamic tasks
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Abnormal Romberg or sharpened Romberg test
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Increased sway during standing
Spatial Orientation / Kinesthetic
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Altered perception of head or neck position
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Difficulty accurately relocating head to neutral
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Sense of “floating” or “drifting”
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Impaired coordination of head and eye movements
Vestibular-like Symptoms
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Dizziness / lightheadedness
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Vertigo-like sensations without true vestibular pathology
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Nausea when turning the head
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Motion sensitivity
Visual Disturbances
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Blurred vision during head movements (impaired vestibulo-ocular reflex)
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Double vision (rare but reported)
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Difficulty focusing or tracking moving objects
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Photophobia or visual discomfort
Cognitive / Perceptual
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Difficulty concentrating during head movement
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Disorientation in busy visual environments
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Increased mental fatigue when using screens or reading
Neck-Related Symptoms
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Neck pain or stiffness (often mild but persistent)
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Increased pain with neck movement
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Trigger point tenderness in deep cervical muscles
Autonomic-Type Symptoms
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Headache (often cervicogenic)
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Nausea or mild autonomic disturbance
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Occasionally tinnitus or ear fullness
“ Without whiplash specific training, physicians can have up to 82% error rate in the treatment of pain. “
Research from the University of Pennsylvania
Understanding Whiplash Injuries
After a Whiplash Injury you have up to 3 weeks to get the correct treatment. Otherwise you risk developing long term chronic pain.
Choosing the right Doctor can determine your recovery.
Your Doctors Training, Education and Experience Matters. No whiplash injury is the same. Every whiplash injury is unique.
Whiplash research shows the following percentage of people that experience chronic pain post collision:
88%
7 YEARS POST COLLISION
70%
15 YEARS POST COLLISION
86%
19 YEARS POST COLLISION
Red Flags to Watch Out for after a Whiplash Injury
Choosing the Right Lawyer
Lawyers
Choosing the right Treatment Cente
Treatment Centers
Why Insurers Try to Direct Your Care
Insurers
Click on Images for larger pictures.
