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Is the body of your car the only body that needs fixing?

Is the body of your car the only body that needs fixing?

Tue, Mar 18, 2014

Often after a car accident people are more concerned with the damage that has been done to their vehicle. This makes sense as cars are expensive and the damage is clearly visible. People are often attached to their car and want to do everything possible to find a shop that will replace the broken parts with quality pieces that help it to look brand new.

Unfortunately we tend to neglect our own body as we may not feel any pain or see any physical damage. Therefore we assume that we are fine and that no structural damage has occurred. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Here are 5 FACTS about whiplash that may surprise you:

  1. Whiplash injuries can occur at speeds as little as five miles per hour. If you think that you’re not at risk because the car behind you barely made contact, think again. Most rear end impacts occur when the vehicle is traveling at six to 12 miles per hour—fast enough to do an incredible amount of damage.
  2. Just because your car is fine doesn’t mean that you are. Most cars are built to withstand an impact of up to 10 miles per hour. Your body on the other hand, is not. Do not assume that your health is in any way related to the amount of damage to your vehicle.
  3. About 1/10 patients diagnosed with whiplash become completely disabled after their injury and 50% of all whiplash victims require some type of long term medical carethat is directly related to their injuries.
  4. Whiplash symptoms do not usually show up immediately after an injury. It’s much more likely that they will appear anywhere from 2 hours – 2 weeks after the initial trauma. For this reason, your San Clemente chiropractor encourages anyone who has been involved in an auto collision to seek treatment as quickly as possible, even if they aren’t displaying symptoms.
  5. Pain is not the only symptom of whiplash. Although discomfort in the neck and shoulder are the most common signs of whiplash, other symptoms include headache, stiffness, numbness and tingling in the neck or arms. Some patients may also experience dizziness or nausea.

If you or someone you know and care about has been involved in an automobile accident within the last year please have them contact us for a Free Evaluation to see the extent of the damage that is present in their spine. Unlike the car parts of the spine are not easily replaced and never work like they did before.