Whiplash is a term used to describe a sprain/strain to the neck usually from automobile collisions.  Whiplash injuries have become epidemic world wide.  Through increased research, we know the incidence of whiplash is on the rise, especially in areas such as Alaska where winter driving conditions increase the number of rear-end collisions.

STATISTICS:

What may be surprising to know is that about 3/4 of all reported whiplash injuries occur in rear-end collisions below 12 mph.  Research studies show that vehicles can withstand this impact without visible damage.  This means you can be injured without any visible damage to your vehicle. Insurance companies tend to rely on the myth of "no damage to the vehicle = no injury to the occupant", and research around the globe has shown this is not so.

Live human crash testing to study the biokinematics (occupant motion) of the rear-impact collision is done at the Spine Research Institute of San Diego, where Dr. Matthisen participates.  Generally, a rear-impact collision at 5 mph is the threshold that can cause injury.  This threshold speed is lowered with risk factors that increase the chance for injury, such as being unaware of the impending collision, head restraint in the wrong position, head turned, being female, etc., so it is possible to be injured at speeds lower than 5 mph.

INJURIES:

Various injuries to the neck (cervical spine) can include disc injuries, muscle tears, and fractures.  But the most common type of injury sustained in rear-end collisions is sub-failure ligament damage with resultant instability in the joints of the cervical spine.  Ligament damage can happen within the first 100 milliseconds of the crash as the neck is exposed to compression, tension, and shear forces almost instantaneously, and if your head is turned upon impact, rotational forces as well.  The neck initially goes into the reverse "S" shaped curve, hyper extending the lower portion of the neck while hyper flexing the upper part of the neck.  Important Note:  Most whiplash injuries occur in rear end collisions below 12 mph.  Crash Study research I have participated in shows vehicles can collide at these speeds with no visible damage to the vehicle.

FACTS:

Most whiplash injuries occur under 12 mph.

Ligament and joint injuries at certain levels of the cervical spine can cause referred pain to the neck, upper back, and head.

DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING: Why Digital Motion X-ray?

Plain film X-rays are performed in our office.  If necessary, we can order MRI's, CT's, bone scans, etc.  We also use Digital Motion X-ray (DMX) in our office (via Motion Imaging) to diagnose ligament damage and instability.  By placing the spine in motion, we can see the instability caused by ligament damage that is not readily seen with MRI, CT, or plain film X-ray.

Last modified: 11/02/04