Auto accidents are a major cause of traumatic injuries that can result in chronic problems and instabilities. Sometimes there are obvious symptoms that occur immediately following like dizziness, nausea, fatigue, pain, headaches, insomnia, trouble breathing and pinched nerves. In some cases the onset of symptoms may be delayed, usually from a few days to a couple weeks. Scientists have found that this is due to the release of the body’s natural opiate-like hormones, but once they stop the pain begins. In many instances the victims feel like at first there isn’t a problem. Years later, the initial trauma has triggered a series of events that turn out to be unfortunate.
The sudden whipping motion that the body undergoes in a car collision is a mechanism of injury, both acute and chronic. Many parts of the body (including the spine) can be affected, it is not surprising the neck is the most vulnerable. We have a heavy head and a comparatively spindly neck. No wonder they call these “whiplash” injuries. A more official term would be “Acceleration Decelerations Syndrome”.
Of course, there are all kinds of physics involved but basically, the heavier and faster the hitting vehicle, the greater the force. The longer and thinner the neck, the greater the force. This is why women tend to suffer more damage in these accidents than men. Cervical whiplash injuries often result in disrupting the normal cervical lordosis.
Symptoms of whiplash include neck pain and stiffness, headache, shoulder pain and stiffness, headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears, fatigue, insomnia, jaw pain, visual disturbances, back pain and pinched nerves.
Sometimes there is very little damage to the vehicle because bumpers are equipped with “crush zones”, but energy is still transferred to the occupants in crashes over 10 mph. Often car accidents cause ligament damage, especially in the neck, that is not severe enough to require surgery but results in instability. Stress and bad postural habits can aggravate the symptoms.
People who suffer this condition tend to go through periods of feeling normal, with intermittent bouts of pain and dysfunction. Unfortunately, the initial damage that has occurred is not the end of the story. Spinal instabilities can evolve into spinal disc and joint problems. Scar tissue, bone spurs and arthritis often show up long after the incident. Any of these conditions can result in weakness, stiffness, pain, pinched nerves or diminished function.
Visit the Symptom Relief page on our website to see how the Tru-Align Body System can help relieve pain cause by auto accidents and other injuries.