Your neck doesn't lie: pictorial proof of the damage caused by a car accident

The "whiplashA study shows that the spine changes, even without a fracture.

What if post-accident neck pain comes from a change in curvature?

I frequently hear from you in consultation that you've suffered a cervical trauma such as a car accident or a fall on a motorcycle or bicycle. And I keep asking you in the history if you've suffered any traumas, even very old ones, in order to understand what's happened to your spine. Your answers boil down to "they took x-rays and there was nothing there", "they gave me Doliprane and I went home".

A study published in 2024 by Dr Evan Katz reports post-traumatic cervical deformities following a whiplash-type accident.

Dr. Katz compared x-rays of patients before and after trauma. He then quantified structural alterations such as lordosis and the position of the head in relation to the shoulders, using highly accurate software to precisely quantify changes in 41 patients.

The results are surprising, showing a loss of cervical lordosis, which literally means a loss of "cushioning" for the neck, leading to biomechanical consequences such as pinched discs, herniated discs and osteoarthritis. Another documented characteristic is the forward translation of the neck, which puts extra work and stress on your muscles and ligaments, resulting in neck pain.

the clinical implications are far-reaching.

1:Whiplash really distorts the cervical lordosis and implies the need to correct this loss of lordosis.

2:the technique used, such as chiropractic biophysics, is an adapted "post-trauma" approach.

3:Radiological assessments are essential for evaluating and adapting the management protocol.

What's interesting is that "rabbit neck" means measurable cervical deformity, and that we find a correlation, a link between this measured deformity and the symptoms we find in our patients.

Even without a visible fracture, cervical trauma leaves its mark on your ligaments and muscles, altering the position of your vertebrae and causing pain.

Don't hesitate to contact us if you think you have whiplash or spinal trauma.

You can read the full study by clicking on the source link.