Rainy Season is Approaching – Drive Carefully
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We’ve been getting intermittent days of rain here in San Ramon over the past couple of weeks.
Once the rainy season starts, please make sure you drive with extra caution. The first rains of the season loosen the previous months’ buildup of oil on the roads, making them extra slippery. It’s a good idea to check the treads on your tires and see if you are due for a new set. Also, keep a longer distance between you and the car in front of you.
Unfortunately, you can only control your actions on the road; not other drivers. If the person behind you is not as careful, and hydroplanes into you at a stoplight (very common during the rainy season– I get this a lot), you will most likely suffer a cervicothoracic sprain strain injury to your neck and upper back. More commonly known as whiplash, this injury occurs when the body is quickly accelerated, then decelerated (which is exactly what happens to the body in a rear end car collision). The construction of the neck allows the head to arch backwards at a sharp angle, and then whip forward, and then back again following the impact. The action causes microtears to the soft tissues surrounding the cervical spine (neck vertebra). Symptoms typically include neck pain and stiffness, peaking 1.5 to two days after the accident; fatigue, and headaches.
If you have the misfortune of getting into a minor car accident and experienced whiplash, make sure to get checked. There is a proper treatment protocol for whiplash to ensure that the injury heals properly, and the neck alignment is restored. If not treated properly, the risk of chronic neck pain is greater.
Even those involved in low-speed accidents should see their chiropractor to rule out a whiplash injury that, if left untreated, can have ramifications for years.