Dr. Barry L Marks Chiropractor
Car Accident Injury Specialist Orange County, CA
“The Problem with Whiplash from Car Accident Injuries…”
Everyday hundreds of auto accidents occur and the occupants are injured. Fortunately, the majority of these injury victims do not suffer fatal injuries. That’s the good news. The bad news is, most of the occupants suffer injuries that they may not be aware of or are mistreated by other doctors.
The “Problem with Whiplash” is that very few people truly understand it.
Well meaning emergency room physicians, general medical doctors and even many chiropractors do not fully appreciate the extent of injury suffered by these patients. A recent survey found that a significant percentage of family practice and orthopedic physicians question the validity of whiplash. [i] Worse yet, they cannot prove to the insurance companies, lawyers and juries that the injuries are real. The end result is that whiplash victims are given short shrift in terms of poor documentation, inadequate treatment, and low compensation for their injuries.
The first thing to realize about whiplash type injuries is that they are real. The current medical literature is filled with objective research validating this type of injury. [ii] Further, the research indicates that injuries can occur at surprisingly slow speeds and sometimes even without much car damage. [iii]
Next, whiplash injuries can remain hidden for weeks, months, and even years before telltale symptoms emerge. [iv]
The insurance companies try to disallow claims if an injured party makes a claim more than a month after the accident occurs. Those well versed in this arena know that this is fairly typical. Many people wait for a time to see if the problems will go away without treatment.
Contrary to popular belief, most people do not like going to doctors. The literature also indicates that it is common for symptoms to emerge slowly over a period of time and not necessarily all at once right at the outset. The insurance companies also know this, but they use it in their defense anyway because many patients and their attorneys will back away from these claims.
The interesting thing is that if you are injured and report to a doctor right away, often times the insurance company will ask why you didn’t wait awhile to see if the injuries would improve. Face it, no matter what your claim is, they will defend against it. Therefore, if your injury is one day old or one year old it’s going to be fought so you will need to make the best case possible.
Another fact to realize about whiplash from car accident is that it is serious. Even minor accidents can cause significant changes in the delicate nerves, ligaments, muscles and discs of the neck. At the onset, the problems may seem minor, but given enough time without proper care, the spine will dysfunction. Eventually arthritis occurs and the end result is permanent neurologic damage and loss of overall health.
Worse than arthritis, many car accidents can result in mild forms of brain injury known as “post concussion syndrome” or “traumatic brain injury”. This is more prevalent in side impact car collisions, but can occur in rear or front-end car accidents as well. These concussive injuries often result without hitting the head. Still other researchers have linked Alzheimer’s disease and chronic fibromyalgia with whiplash type injuries. Whiplash is indeed a serious health problem.
Whiplash must be treated. But not all treatments work. Hard medical evidence suggests that certain types of treatment are far superior at treating this problem. [iv] A study by Woodward, Cook, Gargan and Bannister found 93% of the patients studied under chiropractic care for chronic car accident whiplash injuries had improved. They further stated “…no conventional (medical) treatment has proven to be effective in these established chronic cases.”
Untreated and poorly treated cases of whiplash result in life long problems and suffering. It is estimated that 1% of the entire US population suffers from chronic headaches as the result of car accident whiplash injuries. [vi] That means millions of headache sufferers are directly caused by auto accidents.
Without this basic understanding the general population is at the mercy of the insurance industry. They know the facts and they spend millions of dollars each year to hide them. They use high-powered attorneys to fight claims and intimidate people.
Auto accident injuries are much more prevalent and more serious than many people realize. Here are some facts from medical experts:
- Accident speeds of only 2.5-mph can cause injuries, even if your car wasn’t damaged.
- An 8-mph collision can cause 5 g’s of force on the neck, that’s 2 1/2 times more force than the car received.
- 47% of side impact accidents cause some form of head injury.
- Auto head restraints may cause more damage than good.
- Millions suffer from post accident headaches: A form of post-traumatic concussion that can linger for months and even years and can be very difficult to diagnose.
- Arthritis is much more likely in people who have suffered even minor auto accidents.
Learn the truth about this common and serious problem. See how you may not be getting the treatment you need for the resolution of your problem or the documentation required for a successful case. See how a true “Personal Injury Specialist” approaches whiplash and how he can help you achieve the results you deserve. Learn how the latest in computer technology can locate and prove your injuries. Proof the insurance company, attorney and jury cannot ignore.
To receive your FREE report on Auto Accident Injuries Click Here or Call Toll Free 1-(888)-428-8398 anytime, 24 hrs a day for a recorded message. Protect your rights and avoid needless suffering, call today.
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The preceding article is presented as a public service by:
Dr. Barry L. Marks, Chiropractor, Author and Lecturer serving Orange County, CA car accident victims since 1986. Dr. Marks is a former Associate Clinical Professor at a leading Chiropractic College and has specialized Post-Doctorate training in orthopedics, crash dynamics, whiplash and brain trauma. His office Orange Spine & Disc Rehabilitation Center in Orange, CA provides the latest in chiropractic and computer technology to diagnose and treat car accident injuries. You may contact Dr. Marks’ office at (714) 938-0575.
NOTICE: Dr. Marks is only interested in helping victims who have legitimately been injured. If you have not suffered a real injury, please be warned that making false statements about accidents or filing incorrect or misleading insurance claims is a felony punishable by fines and/or prison time.
References:
[i] Evans RW, Evans RJ, Sharp MJ. The physician survey on post concussion and whiplash syndromes. Headache. 1994;34:268-274.
[ii] Barnsley, Lord, Bogduk, Whiplash Injury Clinical Review, Pain 58, 1994, pp. 283-307
[iii] Koji Kaneoka, Koshiro Ono, Satoshi Inami and Koichiro Hayashi (99-04-15). “Motion analysis of cervical vertebrae during whiplash loading.” Spine 24(8): 763-770
[iv] Smith J. (1993). “The Physics, Biomechanics and Statistics of Automobile Rear Impact Collisions.” Trial Talk: 10-14.
[v] Woodward, Cook, Gargan and Bannister (1996). “Chiropractic treatment of chronic ‘whiplash’.” Injury 27(9): 643-5.
[vi] Magnussen T, Ragnarsson T, Bjorbnsson A. Occipital nerve release in patients with whiplash trauma and occipital neuralgia. Headache 1996;36:32-36.
Posted by Dr Barry L. Marks, DC 
Posted by Dr Barry L. Marks, DC 
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