Baltimore Whiplash Injury at 2.5 MPH

Baltimore Whiplash Injury at 2.5 MPH

As a Baltimore chiropractor that spends the majority of my time treating patients involved in whiplash injuries in Baltimore, I see a lot of headaches, neck pain, and back pain associated with Baltimore car accidents. Some of the injuries I see are severe and require referrals outside of my office to other specialists. Some are not so severe and only require a few weeks of treatment in my office for a patient to have complete resolution of their complaints.

One of the most challenging aspects of clinical practice occurs when patients are involved in “minor fender benders” or “no property damage crashes”. That is, the patient’s car is only minimally damaged (just a few scrapes) or not damaged at all. Third party insurance companies that are responsible for paying for injuries caused by their insured are often quick to point out the lack of damage to my patient’s vehicle, and as a result, the near impossibility that my patient could have been injured in any given crash.

In past blog posts I mentioned that there is no scientifically proven correlation between property damage and relative injury likelihood. That is, it is possible to be injured in non-property damage crashes and there is no way to tell just by looking at a bumper whether or not an occupant was injured.

In one research article by Brault, Wheeler, Siegmund, and Brault, in 1998, the authors were able to determine that “analysis of the effect of 4km/h (2.5 mph) impact severity on ROM measurements over time revealed that, at both post-impact examinations, subject with and without symptoms had a significant decrease in cervical flexion, extension, retraction, and right lateral flexion, with left lateral felxion ROM approaching statistical significance.”  It is important to note that many of today’s rear bumpers are built to withstand forces of 2.5 mph and thus do not deform even with enough force to cause injury to an occupant.

As a Baltimore Chiropractor who cares about the musculoskeletal health of his patients, it is often frustrating when injured clients are handled as if they are fakers or malingerers by the insurance companies that they trust to make sure that they get the care they need.  In these instances my patients typically choose to speak to a local personal injury attorney to help fight for their rights to get the care they need while they are under my care for their injuries.

If you, or someone you know, has been injured in a Baltimore car accident and have suffered from whiplash and require treatment, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to help!

Dr. Gulitz