Whiplash
injuries are the most common to occur during a motor vehicle crash and
affect a very large part of our society. According to Dr. Arthur Croft
at the Spine Research Institute of San Diego, there are 3 million new
whiplash injuries (This number is more than the number of injuries
actually reported because there are many cases that are not reported or
accounted for in statistics generated by NHSTA.) that occur each year
in the U.S., with 35-50% of those suffering from long-term pain, and
14% becoming disabled. Their research has also shown that 45% of all
persons suffering from chronic neck pain attribute it to a motor
vehicle crash injury in their past. Even with the many advances in
automotive safety technology, the incidence of whiplash has been on the
rise over the past decade. However, whiplash injuries can be largely
reduced or prevented with the right patient education. This is talked
more about in the Prevention/Safety Tips page of this section.