Rear Ended Car Accident

Posted on by April 28, 2019

Long Term outlook on Car Accident Treatment

Risk Factors

To review, we’ve covered two risk factors for getting injured in a rear ended car accident.  One is Awareness of the impending crash.  The other is the amount of G forces produced at 5mph.

Today’s article looks at another important risk factor. The position of the people in the vehicle at the time of the accident.  Studies show that people seated in the front of the car are hurt more often than people sitting in the rear seat.  No explanation is given as to why.

References

1.  Parmar HV, Raymakers R: Neck injuries from rear impact road traffic accidents: prognosis in persons seeking compensation. Injury 24(2):75-78.

  1. Otte D, Rether JR: Risks and mechanisms of injuries to the cervical spine in traffic accidents. International IRCOBI/AAAM Conference on the Bio-mechanics of Impact, Göteborg, Sweden, 17-31, 1985.
  2. Kihlberg JK: Flexion-torsion neck injury in rear impacts. Proceedings of 13th Annual Conference of the American Association for Automotive Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1-16, 1969.
  3. States JD, Balcerak JD, Williams JS, et al.: Injury frequency and head restraint effectiveness in rear end impact accidents. In Proceedings of 16th Stapp Car Crash Conference, Detroit, MI, 228-257, 1972.
  4. Carlsson G, Nilsson S, Nilsson-Ehle A, et al.: Neck injuries in rear-end car collisions: Bio-mechanical considerations to improve head restraints. International IRCOBI/AAAM Conference on the Bio-mechanics of Impacts, Göteborg, Sweden, 277-289, 1995.
  5. Otremski I, Marsh JL, Wilde BR, et al.: Soft tissue cervical spinal injuries in motor vehicle accidents. Injury 20:349-351, 1989.

Risk Factor Variation

Having your head looking off to the side instead of looking straight ahead is another risk factor.  When your head is turned, the openings between the bones get smaller.  These openings are where the nerves go through.  This is a position to probable injury.  It’s not hard to understand that in this position you could get hurt, even at low speeds.

References.

In 2000 Winkelstein BA, Nightingale RW, Richardson WJ, Myers BS. found  the cervical facet capsule injury was significantly high during acceleration / deceleration or whiplash injuries – A bio mechanical investigation. Spine 25:1238-1246, 2000.

1.  Winkelstein BA, Nightingale RW, Richardson WJ, Myers BS. Cervical Facet Joint Mechanics: Its Application to Whiplash Injury. In Proceedings of the 43rd Stapp Car Crash Conference 99SC15, 1999, 243-252.

2. Winkelstein BA, Nightingale RW, Richardson WJ, Myers BS. The cervical facet capsule and its role in whiplash injury – A bio mechanical investigation. Spine 25:1238-1246, 2000.

  1. Radanov BP, Sturzenegger M, Stefano GD: Long-term outcome after whiplash injury: a two-year follow-up considering features of injury mechanism and somatic, radio logic, and psycho social factors. Medicine 74(5):281-297, 1995.

Conclusion

Getting hit from the rear position seems to be the worst possible way to crash. There have been over 50 papers published in the last 46 years that Proves the poor outcomes of people injured in rear end car accidents.  This table samples just a few of those papers and shows the percentage of people with who live with chronic injuries.

Table of Studies

LONG – TERM OUTCOME OF CAD INJURIES

        Author

Date

# in study

Follow-up ( yrs)

Chronic (%)

Ellertsson et al. (123)

1978

100

1.5

12

Norris & Watt (242) 3

1983

6

2

44-90

Olsson et al. (192) 5

1990

33

1

41

Watkinson et al. (249)

1991

35

10.8

86

Parmar & Raymakers

1993

100

8

55

Gargan & Bannister

1994

50

2

62

Borchgrevink et al.

1996

345

>2.5

58

Squires et al.

1996

40

15.5

70

Gargan et al.

1997

52

2

64

Brison et al.

2000

353

2

36

Treatment

Dr. Robert Ebeling is a Chiropractor in Englewood. If you or someone you know has been injured in a car crash, call the office at (303) 377-1755 for a free consultation and evaluation.  He specializes in the treatment of people injured this way.

Car Accident in Colorado

Posted on by April 28, 2019

Car Accident in Colorado

Last time we talked about the most important factor as to whether or not you will be injured in a car accident.  People who know they are about to crash seem to do much better than those who don’t.  This Englewood Chiropractor wants to give you more information about car accidents.

Low Speed Impacts

A vehicle impact at 5 mph in Englewood doesn’t seem like a large amount of speed.  Factor in the size or mass of the other vehicle hitting you, that adds up to a significant amount of force.  The bigger the vehicle, the more difficult it is to stop.  This is called Inertia.  Here’s the equation: Force= Mass x Acceleration.  The more Mass, the more Force.  It CAN cause neck pain.

Vehicle Damage Does Not Equal People Damage

What’s also interesting is that  you can not  judge the severity of patient injuries by the severity of the damage to the vehicle.  Most cars these days are built to withstand impacts of up to 12 mph with no apparent damage.  When a vehicle gets crushed from impact, most of this Force is absorbed by the vehicle’s construction materials.  This means less force transfer to the driver and passenger.

However, when there is little to no crush of the vehicle, the full force of the impact is absorbed by the occupants of the car, potentially resulting in more injury.

Rear Impacts and G Force

A rear impact of a vehicle sitting at at traffic light, suddenly accelerated forward 5 mph, causes the vehicle to sustain a G force of 1.9.  (Trust me, I worked out all the math).  This is almost 2x the amount of force we normally experience due to earth’s gravity.

The real factor though is that the people inside the car experience even higher G forces.   Live human test subjects show that these forces are actually 2-3 times greater than that sustained by the vehicle.  That can mean G forces of anywhere from 6-12!  And here’s the real significance of all this.  Ligaments and discs have been shown to suffer injury at G forces of only 3.5.  That’s how car crashes at 5 mph in Englewood can cause neck pain!

Now what to do?

Robert Ebeling, DC is a chiropractor in Denver with 28 years of experience.  Call (303) 377-1755 for a free consultation and evaluation if you have been injured in a car accident Colorado.

Next time we’ll talk more about risk factors that can cause neck pain from car crashes at 5 mph in Englewood.

References

1. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2004 Jun 1;29(11):1217-25.

Injury Mechanisms of the cervical intervertebral disc during simulated whiplash

Panjabi MM, Ito S, Pearson AM, Ivancic PC.

Source: Biomechanics Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8071, USA. manohar.panjabi@yale.edu

2.  1958 Severy et al.  Automobile barrier and rear-end collision performance. Presented at the Society of Automobile Engineers summer meeting, Atlantic City, NJ, June 8-13.
(Severy’s group were the first to show that the acceleration of the human head in low speed rear impact collisions could be up to 2-3 times or more higher than the occupant’s vehicle. This is due to the unique and complex occupant-vehicle coupling of this type of crash.)

 

Car Accident Treatment in Englewood Colorado

Posted on by April 28, 2019

Car Accident Treatment Englewood Colorado begins by knowing the details of the crash.

Most “minor” rear end car accidents happen at 5 mph or less.  You might not think this would be enough to cause an injury at first glance however there are many reasons why someone in this situation would be hurt in a car accident in Englewood.

The most Important question to ask

The most important question to ask in any crash is “Were you AWARE that the crash was coming?”  In other words, “Did you KNOW you were about to be in a crash?”

Studies have shown that people who knew they were about to be in a car accident have far fewer symptoms.  They also have less intensity of headache than people with no prior warning.

A self preservation mechanism kicks in when you know you are about to have a collision.  This helps your body protects itself by tensing up all its muscles.

People without the benefit of this advance notice had a lot more problems.  It is reported to be 15 times more likely to suffer long term chronic pain.

Another study showed that drivers who were unaware of the impending impact were 20% more likely to be injured.

References

  1. Ryan GA, Taylor GW, Moore VM, Dolinis J: Neck strain in car occupants: injury status after 6 months and crash-related factors. Injury 25(8):533-537, 1994.
  2. Dolinis J: Risk factors for ’whiplash’ in drivers: a cohort study of rear-end traffic crashes. Injury 28(3):173-179, 1997.
  3. Sturzenegger M, Di Stefano G, Radanov B, Schnidrig A: Presenting symptoms and signs after whiplash injury: the influence of accident mechanisms. Neurology 44(4):668-693, 1994.

Watch for my Next Blog Post

Next time we’ll talk about more risk factors for having an injury in a low speed rear impact collision.

About Me

Robert Ebeling, DC is a Chiropractor in Englewood, Colorado with 28 years of experience.  He is available at (303) 377-1755 for a free consultation and evaluation usually the same day you call.

 

Peripheral Neuropathy

Posted on by June 11, 2018
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Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment

What is Peripheral Neuropathy?

Peripheral Neuropathy is a term used to describe “burning pain” in the hands or feet.

What causes it?

There are lots of causes of peripheral neuropathy but there are two we see a lot of. These are diabetes and alcoholism.  Peripheral neuropathy can also be the side effect of medication.

The pain is actually inflammation of the nerve. Think of inflammation as “fire”.  That’s what it feels like.

What Treatments are available?

Acupuncture is great for peripheral neuropathy treatment because there are specific points to help “put out fire”.  These are known as the “water” points and “fire” points.

You can “fight fire with fire” and also put it out with water.  Using all of these will help the pain of peripheral neuropathy.

There are also some points on the feet and face for the release of endorphins, the body’s own natural pain killer.

Does it work?

It does work and Dr. Ebeling will even teach you the points to treat on yourself at home.

Dr. Robert Ebeling is a Chiropractor and also does acupuncture treatments at A-Just-A-Ble Chiropractic Center in Englewood, Colorado (303) 377-1755.  He has been doing acupuncture treatments since 2001.

 

Herniated Disc Problems Diagnosed without MRI

Posted on by April 28, 2019
Reply

How do you diagnose a herniated disc?

Before MRI, doctors had to rely upon their exam findings to determine what was wrong with a patient.  Classic tests like the Straight Leg Raise, deep tendon reflexes, and pain presentation were all that we had.  Nerve root tests use muscle testing, which can isolate which nerve specifically may be involved with a herniated disc problem.

In other words, weakness of a specific muscle will tell you what nerve is being affected.
When you know the nerve, you know which disc is involved.
Here are the discs and muscles we check:   L3/L4 (quadriceps), L4/L5 (tibialis anterior), and L5/S1 (hamstrings).
If you suspect a herniated disc then you want to know is it a medial or lateral bulge?
Bending the patient to the side one way and then the other while repeating the test that was weak will tell you this information if there is a sudden strengthening of the weak muscle.
We then set up the patient on the flexion distraction table into the position of strength and provide treatment.  Herniated disc problems are visible with MRI but it just confirms what you already suspected from your exam.
Dr. Robert Ebeling is a licensed Englewood chiropractor for the last 28 years in Colorado.  He specializes in treating herniated disc problems with the Cox Flexion Distraction method.  He can be reached at (303) 377-1755 for a free evaluation of your lower back.

 

 

Pregnancy Back Pain Helped by Chiropractic Care

Posted on by April 28, 2019
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Pregnancy Back Pain Helped by Chiropractic Care

pregnancy back pain is a thing of the past for women while under chiropractic care.
Another benefit is that it also helps the delivery go easier and smoother!
Chiropractic care has literally helped millions of women over the years get relief from Pregnancy Back Pain.  It is totally safe and effective for both mother and baby and can be used all the way up to delivery day.

Video

Watch her testimonial video on Youtube here

Transcription:

Patient: “I used to have lower back pain all the time and now I’m pregnant and I don’t have any pain at all!”

Doctor: “What do you attribute that to?”

Patient: “I attribute it to chiropractic care!”

Breech Baby

Acupuncture can help turn a breech baby.  The point is on your pinky toe!

Dr. Robert Ebeling is a licensed Englewood chiropractor and has 28 years of experience in handling these types of cases.  The treatment is very gentle and you’ll feel better right away!

Check out our new Englewood office location in the Wells Fargo building and

5 Star Patient Google Ratings Here

Call (303) 377-1755 today for a free consultation and evaluation to see if Chiropractic care is a right fit for you!

 

Chiropractic Care and Lower back pain during pregnancy

Posted on by April 28, 2019
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Lower back pain during pregnancy.  Patients, especially women, ask me all the time.  Is it safe to see a Chiropractor while pregnant?  The answer is YES!!  Not only is it safe, chiropractic care helps with the lower back pain during pregnancy  and helps the delivery go much smoother when the time comes.

You have to remember your body is going through changes.  You’re carrying weight where there once was none.  Hormones are flowing, preparing the way for the pelvis to open.  Things will get knocked out of place a little easier.  The good news is that it’s easier to put it back in place and does not require much force at all.

I’ve had pregnant women come in with ribs out of alignment affecting their breathing or their pelvis out of alignment.  If they have never been to a chiropractor before it is totally understandable to be apprehensive.

It doesn’t take much force to realign the bones and they often just pop back in place by themselves with a little pressure.  Pregnant women are actually easier to adjust than regular patients!

And as a bonus I know acupuncture that will help turn a breech baby if needed!

Look forward to helping you at the office!

Robert Ebeling, DC

Vertigo Treatment

Posted on by April 28, 2019
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Vertigo Treatment

Denver Chiropractor (303) 377-1755 Fixes another case of Vertigo

A woman called me at (303) 377-1755 the other day as she had seen online that I fix Vertigo.  I was very excited to help her because I feel that God had given me a dose of it myself in order to figure out a cure and help other people with it.  She came in, we did the Epley maneuver, and it was a success.  We even shot a video about it and called it Vertigo Denver.