Imagine a pool table with billiard balls on it. The player strikes the cue ball and it, in turn, strikes a numbered ball; all of the cue ball’s energy and speed goes into the numbered ball and the cue ball, as a result, stops dead. The vehicle on the receiving end of the collision is the numbered ball and all of the energy of the striking vehicle goes into it. A lot of the energy is absorbed by modern bumpers, crumple zones, and airbags. However, there is still plenty of energy left over to injure the occupants.

That is why auto accident injuries are termed as ‘whiplash’ injuries: the force of the collision striking a seated person causes their spine to be whipped back and forth like the tip of a whip. This ‘whiplash’ motion strains and can even tear the muscles and ligaments; it can also damage and shift the vertebral bones that make up the spine (subluxations). The spine is a very vulnerable area of the body because it houses and protects the spinal cord, which along with the brain, is part of the central nervous system. This system literally runs the entire body. This can result in severe injuries of the neck, back, and shoulders, nerve damage, neck pain and stiffness, headaches, shoulder pain and weakness, low back pain, and spasms. Additionally, it can result in neurological symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, forgetfulness, and unfocused and aggressive behavior. Also, the longer you have these injuries, the more established and permanent they become. At this time, the injury becomes chronic and harder to resolve.