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The neck is the most delicate part of the spine and the most easily injured. It is comprised of seven separate bones that are loosely connected together by ligaments and muscles. The laxity allows for great mobility but also predisposes it to injury. Poor posture, occupation, falling asleep in a chair, falls, twists, and strain take their toll on the neck (cervical spine).
The part of the nervous system housed within the bones of the neck is an extension of the brain. Displacements affect these nerves and cause many symptoms that may not be associated with the neck.
Some of the common symptoms of irritation or pinched nerves in the neck are:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Shoulder/arm pain or tingling
- Difficult breathing and chest pain
- Sinusitis
- Painful ear and face
- Hand/finger numbness
- Throat discomfort
Auto Injuries and Whiplash
Whiplash and neck injuries are among the fastest growing problems today. The ever increasing number of automobiles rolling onto our congested streets and highways, the increased speed of our freeway system, power brakes, and more powerful engines all contribute to the growing frequency of the type of accident that can result in a whiplash neck injury.
The Research Crash Council of the United States Air Force has demonstrated that the normal neck can withstand a forward snapping of 50 times the force of gravity before producing major injury, whereas a backward snapping acceleration of only 5 times the force of gravity can be tolerated. An automobile traveling only 25 miles an hour creates a force exceeding 3,400 pounds, the impact of a crash at this seed will exert several tons of force on the victim's neck.
A whiplash neck injury occurs as the result of a sudden backward and forward whipping movement of the neck. This sudden, forceful movement often stretches or sprains the ligaments and muscles which hold the spinal segments within a critical range of movement balance of the spine. This increased stress results in eventual degenerative disease of the disc with 'spur' formation and the 'spur' will occlude the spinal nerve openings.
It is important to note that virtually every person involved in a moving vehicle accident suffers a whiplash injury to some degree. Its symptoms are not always readily clear...some individuals experience no pain or discomfort for weeks following the accident...and it is advisable to seek competent whiplash injury diagnosis following any auto accident. Left untreated, a whiplash injury can eventually open a veritable 'Pandora's Box' of painful chronic health problems that can eventually lead to a lifetime of misery.
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