Words About Things

Whiplash may not be a famous ailment gaining the attention that other spinal injuries receive; nonetheless it is important to understand its often debilitating effects on health of mind and body.

“Whiplash” is a term used to describe damage to the bone structure and soft tissues of the neck and spine. It is generally caused by a sudden acceleration-deceleration force, usually experienced during a motor accident or in similar circumstances; it has also been known to have been caused by falls from horses and in sports events or from riding rollercoasters or in other scenarios where severe stop-start movements occur. The trauma experienced generally causes hyperextension of the neck, (a movement of the joints, tendons or muscles beyond their normal range of motion).

Whiplash is not typically life threatening but it can cause prolonged pain and disability and too often causes serious obstacles for sufferers in going about their daily life. Sufferers can sometimes get whiplash compensation if the injury is somebody else’s fault.

Typical physical symptoms include: back, jaw, arm, neck or shoulder pain, stiffness, headaches, dizziness, arm weakness, tinnitus, fatigue and disturbed vision.

Although less common, the possible emotional and psychological consequences of whiplash can include depression, anger, anxiety, stress, long-term  drug dependency, post-traumatic stress syndrome, insomnia, and a tendency towards social isolation. All of these should be taken very seriously and discussed with a health care professional.

If a patient has any of the physical symptoms of whiplash a Doctor may place a soft cervical collar on the neck for support. They may also require x-rays or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging study) of the neck and spine to check if there are more serious and lasting injuries.

Most treatments for whiplash have not been tested well enough to determine which is the most effective. However, recent studies have shown that extended immobilisation can slow the healing process or lead to greater levels of stiffness, ­­pain, decreased blood flow, damaged muscles or muscle atrophy (muscle wasting). This is why, after initially reducing the motion of the neck with a soft cervical collar, patients are encouraged to undergo physical therapy to help strengthen their muscles and reduce pain. Patients who undergo a range of motion exercises (rotational exercises performed 10 times a day) within the first four days of their accident usually show rapid improvement, whereas patients who remain immobile or have delayed treatment take much longer to recover.

If a patient is not informed about the reality of their condition or treated, not only can it take them much longer to recover but it can also lead to chronic psychosocial symptoms, including depression, anger, anxiety,  and so on. If the patient is already suffering from psychosocial symptoms, emotional treatment and therapy is firmly suggested to help their internal recovery as well as recovering their physical fitness.

Though it may not be possible to prevent accidents, one can decrease the chances of experiencing whiplash by observing automobile safety as stringently as possible. Seat belts and head rests should be used at all times, making sure the head rest is at a position that will support the skull and base of the neck during a collision- it is worth noting that if the head rest is too low it could actually force the head in to hyperextension during an impact.

Understanding whiplash, especially its causes and the best ways to emotionally heal, in combination with undergoing proper medical treatment, can go a long way to helping a patient to recover as fully as possible. Attempting to prevent it is just as important, and can be helped by the suggestions above.

In any case, it is far too common to ignore and should be taken seriously by all motorists.

Obviously that is a bit of a daft question, but really it is hard to have any conception of what that kind of speed actually means. Now imagine doing that kind of speed in a car.  If you are you are naughty you might have maybe done  120mph down the motorway in a hire car when you thought no-one was looking, but 1000mph is a speed only one car in the world can reach – the Bloodhound SSC.

To give some idea of quite how fast this thing is they made a video simulation thing of it racing a fighter jet. Here it is:

If you have any doubts after watching that whether the thing is actually real – here are some photos of it in London:

It was parked up outside Coutts bank in the Strand.  “The Queen’s’ bank” are more known for high-end investment services than jet powered rocket  cars – but look they even moved inside to stop it getting any more tickets!