Car crashes with minor vehicle damage are a little confusing; if the car wasn't damaged much, it must have been a very minor crash, and so the occupant shouldn't be injured. Right?

Wrong.

In fact, researchers have specifically looked at this problem, and have found that there is no relationship at all between the amount of damage a car received in a crash and the amount of occupant injury.

Here are the facts about low impact collisions:

• Minor vehicle damage may mean that there was very little impact, but it also could simply mean that the vehicle was very rigid. A crash with very little vehicle damage can actually be more dangerous than one with extensive damage.
• Bumpers are designed to protect cars — not people. Stiffer bumpers are "better" — but only for repair bills, not your neck
• Sometimes insurance companies will use an "accident reconstructionist" to "calculate" how severe a particular crash was.Low speed collisions are too complex to estimate after the fact.
• Studies have found that in some patients, ligament damage can occur, even in minor impacts.

Tips for a Quick Recovery After Whiplash

A car crash – even a “minor” one – can be a huge disruption in your life and can cause months of pain and disability. With proper treatment, however, you can be back to your normal activities much faster and reduce the chances of chronic problems.

Staying Active

One of the first things to remember after an auto injury is to stay active. When injured, the body tenses the muscles and creates inflammation around the injured area to “guard” the injury from further harm. Unfortunately, this protective mechanism can cause problems down the road. If left untreated, the “guarded” area will lose motion and flexibility. This can result in reduced function and premature degeneration of the discs in your neck and back.

The effects of early intervention are dramatic. A study1 conducted in Sweden compared patients who were treated within four days of their auto injury to those who waited two weeks. The authors found that patients who received prompt treatment that used gentle neck exercises early after the injury had much improved functioning three years after the collision.

There are many reasons why active, early care helps after whiplash:

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic also serves the same function, by carefully targeting the injured segments of your spine and increasing mobility in those areas. By combining chiropractic with home exercises, we can get you back on the road to health!

If you have been in a car crash, give us a call at 320.762.0683

Auto collisions are common in today’s commuter lifestyle. Unfortunately, many Americans suffer long-term pain from these crashes. In fact, a recent study found that 30% of people in rear-end collisions had pain two years after the crash.

The problem with auto injuries is that the ligaments and joints of the neck can be sprained during a collision. Ligament injuries can be difficult to diagnose and treat, and medications are of little benefit.

Two studies have specifically looked at the effectiveness of chiropractic in treating patients with chronic whiplash.

In the first study, 28 whiplash patients were treated, and the researchers found that 93% of the patients improved. Seventeen of the patients (65%) required no further treatment.

In the second study, 93 whiplash patients were treated with chiropractic. Among those patients with normal whiplash symptoms, between 74% and 94% were improved with chiropractic.

Our office is effective at treating auto injuries because chiropractic focuses on the source of your injury, rather than just treating the symptoms. If you or someone you know has been injured in a collision, give our office a call at (320) 762.0683.

Woodward MN, Cook JCH, Gargan MF, Bannister GC. Chiropractic treatment of chronic whiplash injuries. Injury 1996;27:643-645.