Side Impact Whiplash Injuries

Mary Franz - Jan 11th, 2011

During a rear-impact auto accident, the unexpected jolt from behind causes the neck and head to be thrust forward and then snapped back. In both cases, the neck has abruptly moved beyond its normal range of motion. This jolt can lead to a range of painful symptoms associated with whiplash.

Distressing as a rear-impact crash may be, you may be less likely to anticipate whiplash after a side-impact auto accident. In a study printed in the Journal of Trauma, the researchers found that side impact accidents caused greater trauma and soft tissue injury to the C6-C7 intervertebral disc area than rear-impact injuries. Side impact collisions caused injury to the C3-C4 through C7-T1 areas of the spine as well.

Whiplash simply means an injury that occurs as a result of the neck going beyond it's normal range of motion. If you've ever multi-tasked while holding a phone on your shoulder, you may have suffered mild whiplash that manifests as generalized neck stiffness.

Whiplash can also occur if you suffer a head trauma such as rising up and bumping your head. The jarring can also cause whiplash and once you are cleared of any major head injury, you should be evaluated for neck injury that can be addressed with spinal manipulation. Many patients who suffer a head trauma end up with long-term neck pain for several months following the incident.

Maak TG, Ivancic PC, Tominaga Y, Panjabi MM. Side impact causes multiplanar cervical spine injuries.
Journal of Trauma. 2007 Dec;63(6):1296-307