Dr Bhakta specializes in auto accident injury recovery. Every year thousands of people are involved in car accidents. Many different injuries, including whiplash, shoulder pain, back pain, joint pain, and neck pain occur in these accidents. Many car accident sufferers don't seek the proper treatment that they require after an accident because little to no pain is felt immediately. Are you aware that some auto accident injuries are hidden and are seldom detected for weeks, months or even years?

Dr. Tim believes that whiplash and other car accident injuries should be treated like sports injuries. As with sports injuries, car accidents cause a lot of soft tissue damage. This damage can lead to scarring and instability (usually characterized by a stiff and weak neck or back). Therefore, a proper regimented rehabilitation plan should be implemented with the goal of pain reduction, corrective exercise, strengthening, and a home maintenance regimen. This will ensure minimization of the long term detrimental effects of car accidents.

Here are some facts that you should know about car accidents. For answers to more questions, visit our frequently asked question section.

Whiplash symptoms may or may not occur immediately after a car accident.

An individual may have some pain or soreness immediately following a car accident, but whiplash symptoms may not occur for hours, days, weeks or possibly even months. That's why it's imperative that anyone involved in a car accident should seek professional health care immediately to determine whether a whiplash injury has actually occurred. In my experience, earlier treatment will lead to better outcomes than delayed treatment.

The symptoms of whiplash can be neck, shoulder, and/or upper back pain.

There can be many symptoms in a whiplash injury. Neck pain, shoulder injury and upper back pain are just a few. Here are some stats that may help shed a light on whiplash symptoms:

• 92% - of whiplash injuries cause neck pain.
• 57% - suffer headaches
• 56% - fatigue
• 49% - shoulder pain
• 44% - anxiety
• 42% - upper back pain
• 39% - low back pain
• 39% - sleep disturbance
• 26% - impaired concentration

You can be injured in an auto accident of less than 12 mph.

Only about 22% of auto injuries occur when impacts were greater than 12 mph. 60% of injuries happened in car accidents with the low speeds of 6-12 mph. And yet another 18% received soft tissue injury when impact was less the 6 mph.

You can have a whiplash injury even if your car has no structural damage.

Most cars can withstand a crash of 8-12 mph without any damage. More than half of all whiplash injuries happen without any damage to the vehicle. The lack of damage to the car means that all of the impact force was transferred through the vehicle and your body. It's like standing outside of the car and letting it directly hit you.

Whiplash affects women more than men.

There are many factors that affect the severity and length of whiplash symptoms. Your age, whether you're a male or female, even your physical condition and posture play a vital role. As you get older you start to lose flexibility and strength in your neck. When this happens your neck can't handle the strain from an auto accident as well.

Statistically, women experience whiplash more than men. This is primarily due to the fact that men have stronger neck muscles and women have smaller neck bones. Poor posture at the time of the accident can worsen the whiplash injury. Also, if you're a smoker, the healing process can be prolonged. All these factors alone, or combined, can have a large impact on how severe your whiplash injury will be or the length of time it may take to recover.