Biomechanics of Whiplash

After an automobile accident, neck and back pain is a common consequence of whiplash injury.  Unfortunately, the pain a person feels after whiplash is a source of contention because critics do not recognize that an injury to the neck and back can occur in a whiplash accident.  Specifically, although clinical indications of whiplash are widely identified, the understanding of the underlying injury mechanism is poor.¹  In an effort to dispel this controversy, and to gain information, scientist have studied the motion of the body (kinematics) during traumatic force, such as a car accident, through the use of biomechanical experimentation.    

A review of literature on the biomechanics of whiplash reveals data that substantiates the basis for the common whiplash symptoms (i.e., neck pain, headaches, back pain).  In 2002, Narayan Yoganandan, and others, published an analysis of Biomechanics of Whiplash Injuries using an experimental model.²  The results of this study demonstrated that the varying movements, during a simulated auto collision, between the head, neck, and spine, showed that they could be correlated with headaches and neck pain.  "The [movement] of the soft tissue related structures explain the mechanism of these common whiplash associated disorders."³

¹M. M. Panjabi, et al., Biomechanics of Whiplash Injury, Der Orthopade (Springer-Verlag 1998). 

2Narayan Yoganandam, et al., Biomechanical Analysis of Whiplash Injuries, 34 Accident Analysis & Prevention 663-71 (Sept. 2002).  

3Id.