Five Facts about Whiplash You Didn’t Know

Whiplash is one of the most common injuries from car wrecks in Wichita, Goddard, Salina and Hutchinson. From high speed wrecks on Kellogg and the Kansas Turnpike to low-velocity accidents on Rock Road, whiplash can affect any car accident victim. If you think you may have a soft tissue injury from your car accident, here are five facts you may not know about whiplash.

Symptoms may not be immediate – Shoulder and neck pain are the most common symptoms that result from whiplash. However, they may occur immediately after an accident or they may slowly begin to develop over days or weeks. Other symptoms that occur from whiplash aren’t always associated with having a soft tissue injury. Symptoms such as headaches, neck swelling, muscle spasms, numbness or tingling, nausea, trouble swallowing, dizziness, and blurred vision are all results of whiplash that many accident victims don’t link to their accident.

Low velocity wrecks can cause a soft tissue injury – Even wrecks that happen at less than 5 mph can cause whiplash. In fact, in recent controlled studies 29 percent of people developed symptoms related to whiplash at speeds of just 2.5mph when rear-ended. Because every person is different there are hundreds of factors that go into determining whether a person can be injured in a low impact collision. Some of those factors include whether you are taken by surprise, your position in the seat, use of a seat belt, head or torso rotation before, during and after the collision. Always remember that the rate of speed does not connect to the extent of injury you may experience.

Whiplash disrupts cervical lordosis – Cervical lordosis is how the 7 vertebrae of the neck combine to form a 35-45 degree curve. When whiplash occurs, the torso is forced back into the seat, while simultaneously moving upward. This causes the lower cervical vertebrae to be hyper extended and the upper cervical vertebrae to bend forward.

Fractures usually aren’t seen in an x–ray – An x-ray typically won’t show a fracture of the cervical spine. However, it could show a straightening of the cervical curve. This can be a result of due repetitive muscle spasms. Always have a medical professional examine you after an accident.

Chiropractors can help whiplash injuries – Chiropractic treatment has been shown to be very effective for spinal injuries. Chiropractors will also use some of the same tools that physical therapists use such as ultrasound, diathermy, and inferential muscle stimulation. Although chiropractic treatment may not fix your injuries, it can certainly help with the pain after a wreck

If you have had a Kansas car wreck injury that was not your fault and need medical treatment, you need an experienced professional who can help you get back on the road to recovery. Call us today at 316-269-1414 or visit our contact page here. Our Kansas personal injury attorneys will provide you a free initial consultation and if we take your case you don’t pay a dime unless we recover money for you. Even then we only take a percentage of the total amount of your recovery.

If you have questions on what you should be looking for when you are making a decision to hire a Kansas personal injury lawyer, read our article located here.

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Ray Hodge & Associates proudly represents victims and their families across the state of Kansas, including Wichita, Andover, Derby, Goddard, Haysville, Mulvane, Rose Hill, Newton, El Dorado and Hutchinson. Call today for a free consultation all over the state of Kansas. We have proudly served clients in Sedgwick, Butler, Sumner, Harvey, Kingman and Reno Counties.