This last fall I attended a seminar addressing the treatment of "whiplash injuries". My experience at the seminar renewed my conviction about the effectiveness of chiropractic care for whiplash injuries.
One topic addressed in the seminar was the effect of safety restraints and features on the type and severity of injuries. I would like to share information on one safety feature: the headrest. A headrest can prevent or minimizes a whiplash, but only when it is properly positioned.
The classic "whiplash" injury occurs when one is hit from behind in a "rear-end collision". The "whiplash" occurs, in part, when the neck is bent backward into extension. The headrest is designed to prevent extension of the neck. It is a headrest, not a neck-rest. If you head rolls up over the headrest when you look up at the ceiling of your car, the headrest is too low. An adjustable headrest should be placed high enough to prevent your neck from bending backward during an impact. A simple inspection of your headrest (and your passenger's headrest) may prevent unnecessary injury. I suggest the headrest be set to at least the top of the ear.
When shopping for a new car, inspect the headrest designs of each model. In some cars headrests are placed and lean so far back on the seat that they make absolutely no contact with the head, even in full extension. These headrests are NOT effective.
At
that same seminar last fall one of the topics of discussions was the amount of
injury a person sustains is actually related to the circumstances occurring
during the accident. What does that mean you say. Well it means, depending on
what your were doing at the time of impact may determine the severity of the
injury. Were you completely stoped, rolling, foot on the brakes, foot on the
gas? Were you looking straight ahead? Were you turned talking to the other
occupant, etc. All of these will determine the type and the amount of injury you
receive.
It
was explained to me that the amount of injury that occurs depends on how fast
your Automobile was actually accelerated at the time of the injury. In other
words were you at a complete stop,
slightly rolling, or trying to avoid the impact. All those factors and others
like wet streets, dry streets etc have an influence on the whiplash injury
severity.
One
of the many components of an Auto accident is what they call acceleration. This
is where the other auto when it strikes you makes your go 0-40 in 20 feet. As an
occupant you are part of that auto and you as well as the auto were accelerated
0-40 in 20 feet. Only your auto moves first then your body
follows a split second later. The
question is how fast did you accelerate?
If
I give you two examples
Example
#1
Your
in an auto that has it’s tires burred in concrete, then the impact from the
other automobile would have a hard time getting you to move. When it
struck you it would have to use all its force and energy just to break you free
and would probably not have to much success in accelerating you.
Example
#2
Your
in an auto and this time you become aware that a accident is about to happen.
This time instead of standing on the brakes you hit the gas and try to out run
fate. This time you hit the gas and try and out run the accident, except you
cant. The impact occurs and the force now really has no resistance to deal with
and accelerates your car even faster
(0-100
in 20feet). It was easy this time because you were already moving. The
acceleration was easier and this time it took less of the other cars energy to
send you off like a rocket. Easier to accelerate you.
So
now knowing a few more facts you have to make another decision in life,
Hit the brakes” or “ Make a Run for it.