A-1 HEALTH & WELLNESS
AUTO COLLISIONS
BY JOHN A. DONOHUE
AUTO INJURY CARE IS NOT HEALTHCARE
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utomobile collisions have very distinct injuries that need to be addressed by specific, detailed exams. These exams are determined by the type and location of impact on a motor vehicle and its passengers
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or pedestrians. The physician must also look at whether the airbag deployed, the type and size of the vehicles, if a seat belt was worn, the approximate speed of each vehicle, the height of your head rest or if it is a front, rear or side impact to name a few variables. Each of these will affect the individual victim in numerous ways. You must understand what is relative to the biomechanics of each variable and how every type affects your body independently. There are more than 50 symptoms associated with motor vehicle collisions that are correlated to the injuries that include, but are not limited to neck pain, low back pain, arm pain with tingling, numbness and weakness, leg pain with tingling, numbness and weakness, visual disturbance, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, nausea, memory problems, etc. You can develop anxiety and irritability that may emotionally affect you like PTSD. It can cause fear of driving, depression, and sleep disorders. Eighty-seven percent of minor impacts result in Traumatic Brain Injury. The most common form is a concussion. The brain shifts inside the head and hits the skull. Fifty percent of all concussions occur in motor vehicle collisions and half of those occur in low speed impacts. A doctor must be able to identify a concussion, know if it is improving or worsening, know how to test it and how to treat it and know when to refer to a concussion specialist. One of the major injuries of motor vehicle collisions is a spinal ligament injury, which can cause problems for decades after a collision. When a ligament is hyper-flexed or hyper-extended, it causes hypermobility of the spine. In turn, this causes accelerated degeneration of the area. There are specific protocols for automobile collisions. Each injury has an individual protocol for concussions, ligament injuries, etc. Some of the imaging types used are X-ray, MRI, CT scan, etc. Know which to choose and when. Injuries can impact your life by making it difficult to do certain activities and may cause the inability to do some things altogether. You must understand how these issues tie into physical health, emotional well-being and how they affect your healing time.
Another area of concern is vehicle damage and how to proceed regarding the type of parts, the collision center, rental cars, diminished value, mileage, seatbelt replacement and how minimal vehicle damage affects your body. There is a Florida statistic showing 35,000 accidents at less than 10 mph resulting in 1,900 deaths. To put it into perspective: a crash at 2.5 mph can cause symptoms, but vehicle damage may not occur until 8.7 mph. A rear-end collision at 8 mph produces 2 g’s of acceleration to the vehicle and 5 g’s to the head after a quarter second. At 15 mph, the head will accelerate 10 g’s in a half second. Comparatively, fighter pilots gray out at 6 g’s. There is much more to a Motor Vehicle Injury vs Basic Healthcare. Take all areas of this article into consideration when deciding on what to do after an automobile collision. Due to the space limitation of this article, consider that we are just scratching the surface of all the important factors pertaining to automobile injury. HELPFUL INFORMATION • Head restraints should be even with the top of your head. If it is too low, it acts as a fulcrum. It is best to keep your head against it while you drive. • If the airbags go off, have your lungs checked because you suck in the powder when they deploy. Have your ears checked as well. The sound from airbags can be deafening. • After an accident, ice is the therapy of choice, not heat. • Do not wait to see if the pain gets worse. Low-level pain can turn serious over weeks, months and even years. • Pay attention to your body and emotions after an accident. Get help if you notice anything unusual. • If you do not know what to look for, you will not find it. Dr. Donohue is certified in Motor Vehicle Injury Care and has treated thousands of motor vehicle collision patients over 29 years. n
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John A. Donohue D.C., C.C.S.P., F.I.A.M.A., G.I.C., M.U.A.C., C.M.V.I., E.M.R. ✓ Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician & Board Certified Physiotherapist ✓ Certified in Motor Vehicle Injury ✓ Certified in Manipulation Under Anesthesia ✓ Golf Injury Certified A-1 Health & Wellness 21300 N. John Wayne Parkway, Suite 109. (520) 494-7788 39 years in health & fitness
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For more information, contact Dr. Donohue’s office at 520-494-7788.
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