Orange County, California
Abnormal Neck Curve After a Car Accident
If you have suffered a straightened or reversed or “S” shaped curve to your neck following a car accident, this is proof that the longitudinal ligaments in the front or back of your neck have been damaged.
Research has shown that damage to either the anterior or posterior longitudinal ligament is common in rear-impact motor vehicle car crashes. Surprisingly, a fairly low speed collision (less than 10 mph) can generate enough kintetic energy to the spine to cause these ligaments to become overstretched and tear. This releases the normal tension the ligaments have on your neck and cause it to “unwind” or straighten out causing what is known as a “hypolordosis.”
Ligament injuries are serious.
This is a serious problem because medical researchers have also shown that once a ligament has been over stretched or torn, it will never resume its normal strength, flexibility or function again. This results in chronic joint malfunction and eventually osteoarthritis of that affected joint occurs. This is true of any ligament whether it is in a an ankle, wrist or knee, but is more troubling in the spine because of the importance of the spinal cord. The spinal bones must be aligned properly to protect the nerves and spinal cord. Malfunction due to ligament damage results in arthritis of the spine and compromise of the nerve system which has far reaching affects on your overall health.
“But I was told ‘soft tissue injuries’ aren’t serious”
That is certainly not true. As you can see in the above, a ligament is a soft tissue and when it is damaged it never goes back to normal. How is that not a serious problem? The statement that soft tissue injuries are not serious is patently false and goes against all of the accumulated medical research over the past 50 years.
The only place you will hear this erroneous statement is from auto insurance companies who are trying to minimize damages of a claim. There is not a single article in a scholarly, peer-reviewed medical or scientific journal to support this claim. Yet it is purported thousands of times each day nationwide by auto insurance companies to save money.
Don’t be mislead, an abnormal curve on x-ray caused by a car accident is proof of ligament damage. That damage is serious and permanent.
Car Accident in Orange County California? Call Dr Barry Marks Car Accident Chiropractor (714) 938-0575. He will help assess your problem. He has been Orange County’s Car Accident Doctor since 1986.
Dr Barry Marks Chiropractor
1745 W Orangewood Ave #114
Orange, CA 92868
(714) 938-0575
https://drbarrymarks.com
References:
Leahy PD, Puttlitz CM, Th effects of ligament injury in the lower cervical spine, Journ Biomech, 45 (2012) 2668-2672
Hauser RA,Dolan EE,Phillips HJ,Newlin AC, Moore RE and Woldin BA Ligament Injury and Healing: A Review of Current Clinical Diagnostics and Therapeutics, The Open Rehabilitation Journal, 2013, 6, 1-20
Panjabi MM, Cholewicki J, Nibu K, Grauer JN, Babat LB, Dvorak J, Bar HF (1998-12-01): “[Biomechanics of whiplash injury].” Orthopade 1998 Dec; 27(12): 813-9.
Schofferman, Wasserman, Successful Treatment of Low Back Pain and Neck Pain After a Motor Vehicle Accident Despite Litigation, Spine Vol. 19, No. 9, 1994, pp. 1007-1010
