The causes and the effects of a whiplash

Whiplash is an injury trauma that is generally caused by the sudden distortion of the spine and most commonly the neck. People who may have experienced a whiplash generally sustain damage to the muscles and the nerves in the neck. Some of the usual problems faced include loss to range motion, long term pain in the back and neck and general stiffness. One of the more serious effects of whiplash causes severe damage to the spine.
 
Mostly a whiplash is sustained by persons who are involved in an automobile accident. But the main cause for a whiplash is a forceful impact from behind. In an automobile accident, a vehicle experiences a rear-end collision from another vehicle. The occupants of the vehicle get a sudden jerk forcing their head to swing back suddenly. This causes a hyper-extension of the neck. There is a tension created in the neck due to the extension causing it to ‘whip’ forward with the same amount of force. This whipping back and forth is what causes the damage to the neck and spine. With the increasing number of accidents, it is not hard to find people suffering from whiplash in Naples, FL.

On an average, the body tries to reduce the impact by relaxing certain muscles in an attempt to absorb some of the force. If the speed of the vehicle and the impact is low, it gives the muscles enough time to react to the situation accordingly. But at a high speed, which is usually the case, the body does not get the time to react. As a result, it is unprepared for the onslaught and the neck cannot be held upright in position. The crazy traffic causes accidents and makes people suffer from whiplash in Naples, FL.

The injuries sustained in a whiplash may differ in terms of its level of severity. While a general stiffness in the back and the neck is a common, but not a very serious problem. A whiplash can also induce trauma on the delicate muscles of the neck and the connective structures. A decrease in the range of motion is also another common problem experienced by most of the accident victims. The most severe of cases involve a neurological damage or fractured vertebrae in the neck.

Rear-end collisions are mostly the fault of the driver in the striking vehicle while the ones who are usually injured in such an accident are the ones seated in the vehicle that is struck. However, there can be the mistake of the whiplashes victim being at fault too. If the victim suddenly brakes giving the driver behind no time to react, it will cause him to come ramming into the car in front, ending up in a collision. This sort of collisions almost always result in a whiplash and they are common in Naples, FL.