Every year, over 2 million Americans experience whiplash, which is also known as a neck sprain or strain. It occurs when your head suddenly snaps forward and backward, causing a severe jerk in the neck. Such injuries can create lifelong pain, especially when the right treatment is not administered soon enough.
There is no denying that most of the whiplash injuries are caused due to car accidents, but there are several other reasons involved as well. You can incur it by falling from a horse, being hit from the side, or by contacting a sports injury. During any dangerous physical activity, it is essential to keep yourself protected enough to escape the possibility of whiplash.
A lot of cars, especially those that have been manufactured before 2009, do not offer adequate protection to safeguard yourself from the result of a sudden jerk. Unfortunately, a rear-end crash occurs every 17 seconds in the U.S., but not enough measures are taken to prevent it. Here are some critical preventions to avoid a whiplash injury:
Sit Upright and Never Forget to Wear the Seatbelt
You always need to ensure that your seat is upright, and you sit in a very attentive position. Leaning to one side or the other will not save you from the impact in case of a car crash. You might be tempted to sit in a relaxed position after a tiring day at work, but never prioritize anything else over your safety.
Usually, no one ever forgets to wear a seatbelt while driving, primarily because of the fear of getting a ticket. But, there are chances that you might feel lazy, especially if you’re running errands at a nearby grocery store. Trouble can come at any time, so keep your protection intact no matter what.
Before you rush to a specialist in any city, including Conyers, pain and spine health are your own concerns. You must take the necessary steps to safeguard yourself from any negative situation. If you’ve taken all the safety measures while driving a car, only then it will become possible to avoid any damage to your health.
Keep the Right Distance and Drive Safely
Whenever you need to go somewhere, begin your journey early enough so that you don’t have to speed up towards your destination. When in a hurry, tailgating seems to be very tempting and will make you believe that you’ll reach on time, but that’s not the case. It is one of the major causes of accidents on roads.
Always leave a three-second cushion between your car and the vehicle in front of you, so that you don’t have to apply sudden brakes. Even if you have to stop the car abruptly, there is enough time for you to apply the brake smoothly and eliminate the chances of whiplash.
Always follow the traffic rules while driving so that you don’t put anyone’s safety at risk. Limit distractions so that you are always aware of your surroundings. If the car in front of you stops suddenly, you will be aware enough to take the right step and ensure everyone’s protection on the road.
Good Positioning of Head Restraints
Irrespective of the car you’re driving, maximum protection is only possible through a head restraint that has been properly positioned. The top of the restraint should be as high as the top of your ears, or preferably the top of the head. It should also be relatively close to the back of your head – 4 inches or less.
The most common restraints used are adjustable ones that can be raised or lowered according to the required height. Some of them can even be tilted towards or away from the head. A lot of people are careless in adjusting these restraints, and this makes them ineffective.
Many automakers have introduced active head restraints that automatically move and catch the person’s head in an accident. While such restraints are usually useful, there’s no guarantee at all, because it is the entire seat architecture that is going to determine if it will work or not.
What to Do After Sustaining a Whiplash?
First of all, you must call the emergency services, irrespective of how minor the crash is. In case of a serious injury, ask the dispatcher to send an ambulance to provide emergency medical services. In most cases, the symptoms of whiplash start appearing after a few days. So, an immediate medical examination by Conyers chiropractors or other medical professionals will save you from something serious in the future.
Whiplash doesn’t take a lot of force and can occur at speeds as low as five or ten mph. The severity of the injury depends on how restrained you are and the measures you’ve taken beforehand to protect yourself. Older people or those who are already suffering from a bone disease, like arthritis, may experience serious consequences of whiplash as compared to younger people, so such people should observe more care.
It takes about 17 weeks to stabilize the neck after a severe whiplash injury, but well-trained Conyers back specialists or other professionals from renowned medical facilities in other cities can help in alleviating the problem earlier. More than 60% of the people who have encountered whiplash need a follow-up of at least 6 months to get rid of the problem completely. Some people experience chronic pain even after 20 years of encountering the injury.
Conclusion
Whiplash injury can easily be avoided by little vigilance from your side. Many people take these jerks to the neck to be trivial and leave them untreated, however, this can result in some serious issue after a few years.
As soon as you feel that you are experiencing any of the symptoms, come in contact with a medical specialist, chiropractor, or a physiotherapist, so that you can find a quick solution to your problem.
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