What Happens When Whiplash Injuries Go Untreated?

Often after a car accident people “feel fine”. They may have a little expected back or neck soreness that resolves in a few days. But often the real damage doesn’t show up for weeks, months or years.

Facts about Whiplash Injuries (Sprains/Strains of the Neck):

• 50% of whiplash injuries have an associated low back injury, which often doesn’t show up for about 2 months after the car accident
• In a car accident, the victim’s head and neck average 2.5 times the g force than the car, up to 5 g, depending on the speed of the car at impact.
• Typically, if you have been injured in a previous car accident and have a second, the level of injury increases, and healing time is longer.
• Women typically have longer lasting injuries because of the shape of their head, neck and shoulders. With their typically thinner necks, they have less soft tissue (muscles, ligaments, etc.) to support them during the accident.
• 2/3 of people get out of the car after an accident and don’t have pain. This is due to the endorphins released by the body. Late onset injuries – weeks, months, or years later, are the most common.
• 40% of people involved in a car accident between 0 and 5 mph are injured.
• The amount of damage to the car has little relationship to the injury of the people involved.

When these injuries go untreated, people often end up with longer-lasting injuries, some that become chronic. These may include headaches, low back pain, shoulder injuries, chronic tension in the shoulder and neck muscles, posture changes and a loss of movement in the neck.