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Want to Live to 100? Adopt These Healthy Anti-Aging Habits

Want to Live to 100? Adopt These Healthy Anti-Aging Habits

The number of Americans living to 100 — and beyond — has increased dramatically in recent decades, while those over the age of 80 comprise the world’s fastest-growing segment of the population, according to the latest research.

Between 1980 and 2014, life expectancy in the United States increased from 73.8 years to 79.1 years. Meanwhile, the number of Americans reaching and surpassing age 100 has exceeded 100,000, and that figure is expected to grow eight times — to 800,000 — by 2050, according to the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Census Bureau.

So what’s the secret to living long enough to celebrate your 100th birthday?

While there are no sure-fire prescriptions for living to an extremely advanced old age, longevity researchers have found the ticket is a mixture of genetics and lifestyle — which means there are steps you can take to up your odds of living longer.

A landmark Swedish study, for example, showed that men who celebrated their 100th birthday all had mothers who lived into their 80s and 90s. But genetics wasn’t the only factor. The study also showed that the men had many controllable lifestyle factors in common. For instance:

  • All of them were non-smokers.
  • They generally stayed fit and trim by eating nutritious diets and exercising regularly.
  • Nearly all had healthy levels of cholesterol and blood pressure, which reduced their risk of developing cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 cause of death worldwide.
  • They owned their own homes or rented expensive residences, allowing them to live independently and stay mentally, physically, and socially active.
  • Most did not retire early, but instead actively worked until at least age 54.
  • None drank more than four cups of coffee per day.
  • Many reported having an optimistic outlook on life, which researchers said helped them embrace the power of positive thinking and combat stress and anxiety.

Studies of American centenarians have reached similar conclusions about the links between healthy lifestyles and longevity.

A recent study that compared and contrasted the lifestyles of Americans with the highest and lowest life expectancy found significant differences the daily habits of those individuals. For the study, researchers examined residents of Summit County, Colo., which has the nation’s highest life expectancy (86.8 years, two years higher than that of Andorra, the tiny country with the world’s highest life expectancy) and Lakota County, S.D. — which has the nation’s lowest life expectancy (66.8 years, comparable to Third World countries such as Sudan.

Researchers concluded that 74 percent of this disparity can be explained by controllable risk factors such as levels of physical activity, diet, tobacco use, and obesity, which increases the risk of developing life-threatening conditions diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and certain cancers.

Worldwide, the rate of chronic illnesses such as heart disease is lowest in the Okinawa Archipelago, a group of 161 coral islands in the East China Sea that are home to the Earth’s longest-living people.

Here are some of the reasons why so many of them live to 100:

Diet. Okinawans primarily rely on plant sources such as sweet potatoes, greens, and whole grains. They supplement their diet with two or three servings per week of freshly caught fish, soya products, and an occasional serving of boiled pork with the fat trimmed off. They also drink antioxidant-rich green tea supplemented with jasmine flowers.

Exercise. Since most Okinawans are fishermen or farmers, they usually work outdoors into extreme old age. They get additional exercise from walking, gardening, martial arts and traditional dance.

Social life. Like other long-lived people, Okinawans maintain close social ties.

Stress. They also engage in stress-relieving strategies such as regular meditation.

Another longevity hot spot is the Greek island of Symi, where residents routinely live into their 90s. They, too, rely on fruits, vegetables, fish, and little meat. But they tend to slather their food tomato sauce, extra virgin olive oil and garlic. They also drink red wine with most meals, which helps account for their low rate of heart attacks.

So how long can life expectancy to continue to grow?

McGill University biologists Bryan G. Hughes and Siegfried Hekimi attempted to answer that question by analyzing the genetics and lifestyles of the longest-living individuals from the U.S., U.K., France, and Japan.

Their findings, published in the journal Nature, explodes the commonly held belief that the upper limit of the human lifespan is around 115 years.

“We just don’t know what the age limit might be. In fact, by extending trend lines, we can show that maximum and average lifespans, could continue to increase far into the foreseeable future,” Hekimi says.

It’s impossible to predict what future lifespans in humans might look like, Hekimi says. Some scientists argue that technology, medical interventions, and improvements in living conditions could all push up the upper limit.

How NOT To Fix Sciatica (Piriformis Stretch)

How NOT To Fix Sciatica (Piriformis Stretch)

After ruling out a herniated disc is not causing your sciatic nerve problems, you should look to the pelvis and many times the culprit is the piriformis muscle.

When the piriformis becomes tight or inflamed, it can put pressure on the sciatic nerve and you can get the sensations going down the leg. �Symptoms such as numbness, tingling, and sharp shooting pain.

A common mistake I�ve seen on YouTube videos and at different gyms and clinics, is people using a tennis ball, lacrosse ball, or foam rollers to apply pressure to the piriformis muscle in order to relax it.

 

 

If your sciatica is caused by piriformis syndrome, applying pressure to an area that�s already compressed will only add more pressure to the sciatic nerve and cause more pain.

What you should do instead, is stretch the muscle causing the problem so that it relaxes and takes pressure off the sciatic nerve. In this video you�ll learn an easy stretch you can do on the floor.

You simply lay on your back with both legs bent. Then cross the painful leg over the good one. And pull the affected leg towards the opposite shoulder and hold that stretch for 30 seconds.

Repeat the stretch as needed.

This will help to relieve the sciatic pain associated with piriformis syndrome.

As with any conditions, there is no quick fix. You have to consistently perform sciatica stretches and exercises to achieve the best results.

Source:

How Chiropractic Care Helps Treat Whiplash and Neck Injury

How Chiropractic Care Helps Treat Whiplash and Neck Injury

Many accident victims report neck pain in the days after a car accident. This neck pain is due to whiplash. Whiplash pain may not surface following a car accident till a day or two. The pain does not happen until a week or even longer.

 

Whiplash is an injury to the neck muscles out of rapid forward and backward motion of the neck brought on by a trauma (eg, a car accident). It can cause acute (short-term) neck pain as well as restricted movement on your neck. This is the reason why it is extremely important to get medical care from a chiropractor if you do not have pain or any visible injuries.

 

Your spine is evaluated by the chiropractor as a whole. He or she’ll examine the entire spine because other regions of the spine may be affected (not your neck).

 

Chiropractic Evaluations for Whiplash

 

The healthcare professional or chiropractor will identify any areas of spinal injury, muscle strain, and joint movement. They may use a technique called motion and static palpation. Your chiropractor will feel for tenderness and make sure your spinal joints move.

 

He or she will examine how you walk, and take note of your posture and spinal alignment. These details will help the chiropractor understand that your body’s mechanisms and your spine works, assisting with the identification process.

 

Mechanism of Injury: MRI Scan

 

Whiplash Injury MRI - El Paso Chiropractor

 

Besides the chiropractor’s test of your spine, he or she may order an MRI of your backbone to evaluate any changes which might have existed before your whiplash injury or an x ray. Your neurological and own physical evaluation’s diagnostic pictures and results are compared to create the treatment plan.

 

Whiplash - Loss of Cervical Curve - El Paso Chiropractor

 

Before and After X-Rays

 

Pre-Accident and Post-Accident X-rays - El Paso Chiropractor

Whiplash CT Scan

 

Whiplash CT Scan

 

Soon after whiplash occurs, the chiropractor will work on reducing neck inflammation using various therapy modalities (eg, ultrasound). They may also use gentle stretching and manual treatment techniques (eg, muscle energy therapy, a type of extending). Chiropractors promote recovery in the affected regions, and can assist in relieving pain, by using different therapy methods.

 

Your treatment plan depends on the seriousness of your whiplash injury. The most common technique is spinal manipulation. Some manipulation methods utilized are:

 

  • Chiropractic Adjustment: By performing spinal manipulation, via movements or thrusts, chiropractors can move the involved joint. This helps create flexibility, strength and promotes recovery.
  • Muscle Comfort and Muscle Stimulation: Using calm gentle stretches to the muscles that are affected, tension can be relieved. These stretches can also be combined with ‘finger pressure techniques’ on certain pressure points to alleviate pain.
  • Exercises: A variety of stretches and exercises can help decrease the symptoms associated with whiplash and neck pain. Chiropractors can recommend several of these to patients to perform at home on their own. This provides the patient a bit more control in the healing procedure.

 

The chiropractor might also recommend you apply an ice pack on your neck or a mild neck support to use for a period of time. The pain decreases and as your neck becomes inflamed, your chiropractor will execute other methods or gentle spinal manipulation to restore normal motion.

 

Using these techniques, a chiropractor will allow you to increase your daily activities. He or she’ll work hard to tackle any mechanical (the way the backbone goes) or neurological (nerve-related) causes of the own miscarriage.

 

The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
By Dr. Alex Jimenez

 

Additional Topics: Automobile Accident Injuries

 

Whiplash, among other automobile accident injuries, are frequently reported by victims of an auto collision, regardless of the severity and grade of the accident. The sheer force of an impact can cause damage or injury to the cervical spine, as well as to the rest of the spine. Whiplash is generally the result of an abrupt, back-and-forth jolt of the head and neck in any direction. Fortunately, a variety of treatments are available to treat automobile accident injuries.

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World’s Laziest Countries Ranked by Steps US in Bottom Half

World’s Laziest Countries Ranked by Steps US in Bottom Half

The U.S. is one of the world’s laziest countries, according to a new Stanford University study that used smartphone measurements of the number of steps taken by people in 46 countries.

The study, published in the journal Nature, included 700,000 participants and was “1,000 times larger than any previous study on human movement,” co-leader and Stanford bioengineering professor Scott Delp said, the BBC reported.

Countries with the highest average number of steps walked included China, Ukraine, Japan, and No. 1 Hong Kong, with 6,880 steps walked per day on average, USA Today reported.

The U.S. ranked in the bottom half of countries represented, with 4,774 steps walked per day, just below the worldwide average of 4,961 steps. Indonesia had the least steps walked with 3,513 per day on average, USA Today reported.

The study found that countries where people walked a similar amount of steps each day had lower rates of obesity, whereas countries where some people walked a lot and others walked very little had higher rates of obesity. The U.S. falls into the latter category, with high levels of what the study called “activity inequality.” 

The study analyzed a total of 68 million days’ worth of data and tracks people’s activity over longer periods of time than previous studies, the BBC said.

Women averaged about 1,000 fewer steps than men in the U.S., and suburban areas reported fewer steps on average than urban, city areas that are more pedestrian-friendly.

Researchers hope the data might help design towns, cities, and neighborhoods that encourage more physical activity.

Chronic Liver Inflammation Tied to Western Diet

Chronic Liver Inflammation Tied to Western Diet

Western diets, high in sugar and fat, cause liver inflammation, especially in males, according to a new animal study in The American Journal of Pathology. Inflammation was most pronounced in males that lacked farnesoid x receptor (FXR), a bile acid receptor.

The study also found that probiotics may prevent and treat the condition, keeping it from advancing to liver cancer.

“We know the transition from steatosis, or fatty liver, to steatohepatitis — inflammation in the fatty liver — plays a crucial role in liver injury and carcinogenesis,” said lead investigator Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan, Ph.D., Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UC Davis Health.

“Because the liver receives 70 percent of its blood supply from the intestine, it is important to understand how the gut contributes to liver disease development,” Wan said.

“Our data show that diet, gender, and different antibiotic treatments alter the gut microbiota as well as bile acid profile and have different effects on liver inflammation,” she said.

Wan used an FXR-deficient mouse model (FXR KO), which has become an important tool to better understand the role of diet and inflammation in the development of liver diseases, including cancer, because patients with cirrhosis or liver cancer also have low FXR levels.

Other studies have found that mice deficient in FXR spontaneously develop liver problems and tumors even when they are fed a normal diet.

In this study, FXR-deficient mice as well as wild mice were fed either a Western diet or a matching control diet for 10 months. Both Western diet-fed wild-type mice and control diet-fed FXR KO mice accumulated fat in the liver, which was more severe in males than females.

The study suggested that antibiotics might help block inflammation in control mice, but not in the  FXR KO mice fed a Western diet. It also indicated that probiotics might also deter some of the inflammation.

“Our results suggest that probiotics and FXR agonists hold promise for the prevention and treatment of hepatic inflammation and progression into advanced liver diseases such as cancer,” Wan said.

A recent Australian study found that zinc may be a major key in fighting liver damage. An article published in Nature Communications found that zinc had the potential to be a simple and effective treatment against acute and chronic liver inflammation.

Other natural substances have been found to be effective against liver disease. A 2016 study conducted at the University of Southampton found that two cups of coffee a day reduced the risk of liver cirrhosis — scarring due to alcohol and viruses like hepatitis C — by 44 percent.

Can Childhood Exercise Counteract High-Fat Diet?

Can Childhood Exercise Counteract High-Fat Diet?

Australian researchers have found that exercising as a child could potentially counteract the damage of a high-fat diet later in life.

Carried out by a team from the Liggins Institute at the University of Auckland, the animal study looked at the effect of different diets and exercise programs on rats’ bone health and metabolism, focusing on the activity of the genes in bone marrow.

Rats were given either a high-fat diet and a wheel for extra exercise, a high-fat diet but no wheel, or a regular diet and no wheel.

High-fat diets in childhood are known to “turn up,” or increase, the activity of other genes that cause inflammation — the body’s natural self-protective response to acute infection or injury. Ongoing inflammation as a result of high-fat diets can damage cells and tissues, increasing the risk of obesity, heart disease, cancer among other conditions.

However, the team found that in the rats given a high-fat diet and an exercise wheel, the early extra physical activity caused inflammation-linked genes to be turned down, not turned up.

It appeared that exercise altered the way the rats’ bones metabolized energy from food, disrupting the body’s response to a high-calorie diet.

“What was remarkable was that these changes lasted long after the rats stopped doing that extra exercise — into their mid-life,” commented Dr Justin O’Sullivan, a molecular geneticist at the Institute.

“The bone marrow carried a ‘memory’ of the effects of exercise. This is the first demonstration of a long-lasting effect of exercise past puberty.”

“The rats still got fat,” he pointed out, “but that early extra exercise basically set them up so that even though they put on weight they didn’t have the same profile of negative effects that is common with a high fat diet.”

Dr O’Sullivan says that the results may help explain why even though obesity and diabetes are often linked, not everyone who is obese develops diabetes.

“It also strongly emphasizes the health benefits of exercise for children.” 

The team are now carrying out further research, varying the exercise and looking at the even longer-term effects into old age in the hope of recreating their results.

Phil Steele�s College Football: UTEP O-Line Ranked No. 1 C-USA

Phil Steele�s College Football: UTEP O-Line Ranked No. 1 C-USA

Related Articles

In the latest edition of�Phil Steele�s College Football Preview, the respected publication recognized seven Miners to the Preseason Conference USA team and ranked UTEP�s offensive line as no. 1 in C-USA and no. 40 nationally.

Will Hernandez (guard), Greg Long (tackle) and Alvin Jones (linebacker) were honored as 2017 Preseason C-USA first team selections. Terry Juniel (punt returner) garnered a third team selection, while freshman Joshua Fields (running back), Jayson VanHook (linebacker) and Alan Luna (punter) received fourth team selections.

Steele also rates UTEP�s linebackers as the fifth-best in C-USA.

As far as UTEP�s offensive line, Steele rated it as no. 1 in C-USA heading into the 2017 campaign. The Miners ranked tied third in sacks allowed (22.0) and ranked fourth in sacks allowed per game (1.83). Overall in the country, the Miners� offensive line unit is ranked no. 40 by Steele in his top 56. UTEP is one of five schools not from a Power Five conference to make the top 40.

Hernandez is ranked no. 6 as one of the top 61 guards in the Top Draft Eligible Players. Hernandez was also named second team All-American on Steele�s 2017 Preseason All-American team.

UTEP opens the 2017 campaign at national power Oklahoma on�Sept. 2�(1:30 p.m. MT). Then the Miners rev up C-USA action in the Sun Bowl on�Sept. 9�against Rice (6 p.m.).

When Being Overweight Can Actually be Good for You

When Being Overweight Can Actually be Good for You

For decades, health experts have warned about the dangers of being overweight, pointing to an increased risk of many conditions, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some cancers. But several recent studies have found that sometimes being overweight — even obese — can actually be helpful, especially in seniors. The phenomenon is referred to as the “obesity paradox.”

“Society has often led to people being fixated with extreme thinness, particularly for appearance,” says Dr. Carl J. Lavie, a cardiologist at New Orleans’ Oschner Heart and Vascular Institute.

“However, almost every study shows that the underweight and the low end of ‘normal’ weight almost always have the highest mortality rates,” he tells Newsmax Health.

“The obesity paradox is even more noted in older folks than in the young,” says Dr. Lavie. “Older people can be very healthy with weights typically considered in the ‘overweight’ and ‘mildly obese’ ranges, especially if they are fit.”

Check out the following situations and conditions where a few extra pounds can not only be helpful, but could possibly save your life:

Heart attack. Cardiologists from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center studied patients who had suffered a major heart attack. They found that those who were mildly obese were 30 percent more likely to survive and spend fewer days in the hospital than those of normal weight. Researchers defined “mildly obese” as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 to 34.9 compared to a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, which is considered normal weight.

In an earlier study published in the European Heart Journal: Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes, UT Southwestern researchers examined records from Medicare patients discharged after a heart attack involving total artery blockage. They then compared them with later treatment records to determine how the patients fared over the next three years. The mildly obese patients did better than all other groups, while those who were of normal weight or extremely obese fared the worst.

Stroke. Even though obesity increases the risk for stroke, a study from Boston University Medical Center found that people who are overweight or even mildly obese are more likely to survive strokes over the following 10-year period than those of normal body weight. The benefit was strongest in males and in those under than the age of 70.

Angioplasty. Dr. Luis Gruberg at the Cardiovascular Research Institute in Washington found that overweight and obese patients died at half the rate of normal-weight people following angioplasty, a procedure that unblocks arteries in the heart. He nicknamed the phenomenon the “obesity paradox.”

Longevity. An analysis of 97 studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that although obesity raised the risk of death, people who were mildly obese (a BMI of 30 to 34.9) had a 5 percent less chance of dying than those with normal BMIs. Those who were considered overweight with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 had a mortality rate that was 6 percent lower than those with normal BMIs. In addition, a British study found that people with Type 2 diabetes who were overweight, but not obese, had a lower risk of dying over a decade than their counterparts who were normal weight or underweight.

Sexual stamina. Sex with a person with a higher BMI lasts an average of 7.3 minutes longer when compared to underweight men or those of average weight. The answer appears to be the hormone estradiol, a form of the female hormone estrogen. It is found in excess abdominal fat and is known to slow male orgasm.

Heart failure. In studying his patients who were recovering from heart failure, Dr. Levie found that for every 1 percent increase in body fat, overall survival increased 13 percent.

Dementia. Those extra pounds may help protect you from dementia, found a study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. Researchers found that those who were classified as overweight with a BMI of 24 to 29 had an 18 percent lower risk of developing dementia. The risk was even lower for those whose BMI was 30 or above. But people who were underweight increased their risk by 29 percent.

Arthritis. A Swiss study published in the journal Rheumatology found that the higher a man’s body mass index (BMI), the lower his chance of developing chronic arthritis. Overweight and obese men were found to have a decreased risk of up to 63 percent when compared to men of normal weight.

Loss of Cervical Curvature from Motor Vehicle Crashes

Loss of Cervical Curvature from Motor Vehicle Crashes

Unfortunately, many people can relate to having been involved in a car crash or motor vehicle crash (MVC) at a certain point in their lives. Whether it was a major accident or a little one, MVC’s are no fun and can cause a variety of injuries. These injuries can often be whiplash injuries.

 

The implications of a motor vehicle crash, in addition to interruption of your daily routine because of whiplash, can often lead to injuries or conditions which may take years to recover from.

 

With much more distracted drivers texting and speaking on their telephones, MVC’s are on the rise, making for even more dangerous roadways. While other people’s behaviors can not be controlled by us, we can drive more cautiously and defensively to avoid being in an auto accident. Because MVC’s can occur, however, having a plan in mind and being prepared is vital to getting up on our feet and recovering fast.

 

More serious automobile accidents mean more critical injuries, ranging from wounds and cuts to broken bones or fractures, brain damage, and even death. At first, less serious motor vehicle crashes may not look like a major deal, with sufferers walking away without a scratch, believing they’ve escaped the collision unscathed. Others may just complain of a small headache, neck pain, and/or a stiff neck, resorting to carrying over the counter pain killers, or even wearing a neck brace to assist with their healing — something that’s far from treating the source of the injury.

 

Cervical Lordosis in Whiplash Prevention

 

What many people don’t realize though is the extent to which the cervical lordosis, or curvature in your neck as seen from the side, can play an essential role in both: the extent of the initial injury to the occupant(s) and; the long term pain and suffering from whiplash injury to the occupants. Furthermore, the MVC itself will affect the cervical lordosis.

 

 

Concerning the degree of initial injury, researchers have found that a well maintained cervical lordosis actually prevents neck tissue damage to the sensitive cervical spine and its structures, in the case of an automobile accident. In the figure on top, the right hand picture demonstrates what a typical curve looks like when seen from�the side and the person is facing to the right. In contrast, the same researchers identified that straightened cervical curves and worse yet, reversed (kyphotic) cervical curves predisposed to more severe cervical spine tissue injuries due to more extreme forces acting on the neck during the exact same MVC circumstances. The x-rays above at the far left and the middle show abnormal neck curves where more severe injury to the person is likely to result should they be involved in an MVC.

 

Therefore, if you already have an abnormal cervical curvature prior to a MVC, it’s in your best interest to rehabilitate the form and volume of your cervical lordosis. You’re in a higher risk of having significant injuries should you be involved in an automobile collision or other type of accident.

 

before and after mvc - El Paso Chiropractor

 

Concerning long term pain and distress, many research studies have identified the patients who undergo long-term whiplash injuries and suffering are in fact the ones who have abnormal cervical lordosis. Straightened, abnormal s-curves and reversed cervical curvatures have been found to pre-dispose after MVC to the following conditions:

  • Neck pain and stiffness,
  • Headaches,
  • Arm pain,
  • Thoracic outlet symptoms,
  • Dizziness,
  • Lack of concentration,
  • Degenerative arthritis in the cervical spine,
  • Disc herinations.

What many individuals who’ve suffered whiplash injuries don’t see is that a small pain or neck pain is a genuine indication of a more serious injury to your cervical lordosis and inherent neck tissues. Misalignments as a consequence of motor vehicle crashes, or MVC’s, sudden jolt may manifest immediately, or not become evident at all for a period of time. But this doesn’t signify that the spine is healthy or that no harm was sustained.

 

cervical lordosis and whiplash - el paso chiropractor

 

Discussion

 

The fact is that MVC�s statistically damage the shape of your cervical lordosis. Researchers from Chiropractic BioPhysics have identified that the average patient exposed to a MVC will lose 10 degrees of their cervical lordosis, develop a mid cervical kyphosis, and have increased forward head posture as a result of the MVC.

 

A misaligned cervical curvature as a result of an MVC is a severe medical condition. Altered cervical curves will cause nerve interference � hindrance of critical nerve energy that is responsible for every function of our organs, and every movement of our limbs. Ignoring the cervical spinal misalignment can manifest into pain and discomfort, fatigue, sleep disorders, organ dysfunction, depression, and finally disease.

 

The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�Green-Call-Now-Button-24H-150x150-2.png

 

By Dr. Alex Jimenez

 

Additional Topics: Automobile Accident Injuries

 

Whiplash, among other automobile accident injuries, are frequently reported by victims of an auto collision, regardless of the severity and grade of the accident. The sheer force of an impact can cause damage or injury to the cervical spine, as well as to the rest of the spine. Whiplash is generally the result of an abrupt, back-and-forth jolt of the head and neck in any direction. Fortunately, a variety of treatments are available to treat automobile accident injuries.

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Whiplash Caused by Acceleration and Deceleration

Whiplash Caused by Acceleration and Deceleration

Definitely, the most frequent injury caused by automobile accidents is whiplash, amounting up to 80 percent of car crash injuries.

 

Whiplash is a cervical spine, or neck, injury that is caused when the head is jolted either backwards or forward by acceleration or deceleration. The acceleration or deceleration in automobile accidents is typically abrupt, which will cause the head to jerk unexpectedly and be stretched beyond its normal range of motion, straining the neck’s muscles and ligaments. Whiplash can happen at any speed �even when vehicles are traveling as slowly 25 mph.

 

Severe cases of whiplash can even cause fractures to the neck vertebrae. These accidents might need time off from work and physical activity in order to recover and are painful although a complete recovery is likely.

 

Level of Damage from Whiplash

 

Most commonly, whiplash is the result of a rear-end automobile collision, rather than a side impact or head-on collision, though that is possible. In the vehicle, kinetic energy will keep the bodies moving forward in the event of a car accident. Due to restraints like seat belts, the body will be stopped while the head will continue to be thrown backward. This unnatural movement of the neck leads to hypertension injuries. Depending on the seriousness of the impact and how fast the cars were traveling at the time of the incident, the extent of the whiplash will differ.

 

 

Traumatic brain injuries will be caused by the whiplash. A healthcare professional will often perform both a physical examination and an X-ray or CT scan to examine the possibility of whiplash in those who were involved in an auto collision. Doctors monitor and might examine brain function to be able to ascertain whether there was damage or injury to the structures surrounding the neck. With acceleration and deceleration injuries, the brain may swell and cause bruising and bleeding. This can be potentially life-threatening.

 

 

Diagnosis: Cervical Acceleration/Deceleration Injury

 

normal and whiplash - El Paso Chiropractor

 

Cervical acceleration or deceleration injuries result in trauma to the deep anterior neck muscles. When a muscle is torn, it is strained. When a ligament is sprained, it is stretched or torn. As the ligaments in the neck are responsible for maintaining a curve of their neck this can be painful. Neck injuries of this sort will involve micro-tears, but hypertension will result in fractures and larger tears. Many vehicle crash victims after healing, will experience what’s known as myospasm. This symptom involves the sudden contraction of the neck muscles. These spasms can be painful.

 

flexion extension whiplash - El Paso Chiropractor

 

Front impact crashes have a greater risk of death and serious injury. Whiplash resulting from a collision can cause injury to the cervical spine and hyperextension. Severe strain of this nature can leave a victim suffering from tension headaches, migraines, and even vision problems for some time even after the neck has healed. The extent of the injuries may depend on which type of vehicle the person traveled in. The size of the vehicles can have a tremendous effect on both severity and the nature of the injuries. Airbags are required in vehicles for safety purposes, but they can actually cause injuries because of their impact when deployed.

 

If you or a loved one were involved in an auto accident, then you may be suffering from the painful side effects of whiplash and cervical spine injuries. The driver who hit on you may have been cited with a violation, but you might be able to take actions and receive the proper healthcare you deserve.

 

The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�Green-Call-Now-Button-24H-150x150-2.png

 

By Dr. Alex Jimenez

 

Additional Topics: Automobile Accident Injuries

 

Whiplash, among other automobile accident injuries, are frequently reported by victims of an auto collision, regardless of the severity and grade of the accident. The sheer force of an impact can cause damage or injury to the cervical spine, as well as to the rest of the spine. Whiplash is generally the result of an abrupt, back-and-forth jolt of the head and neck in any direction. Fortunately, a variety of treatments are available to treat automobile accident injuries.

blog picture of cartoon paperboy big news

 

TRENDING TOPIC: EXTRA EXTRA: New PUSH 24/7�? Fitness Center