As winter begins to set in on Chicago, the icy, treacherous roads are back. Longer travel times, more congested commutes, and much more dangerous driving conditions are here for the next few months. You’ve probably hit a patch of ice and slid a little further than you thought you would, maybe even been the victim of someone else who slid further than they planned for and slid right into the back of your car. While you know that these driving conditions make auto accidents more likely, did you know that they make them more dangerous as well?

The same thing that makes an auto accident more likely, a slicker road caused by decreased friction from ice, makes an auto accident more dangerous to the occupant. When there’s less friction on the road, there is more of an energy transfer from the striking (bullet) car to the other (target) car. It’s easiest if you think about it in the reverse situation: imagine you’re in a car that the wheels are stuck in cement and not moving at all. A car strikes you from behind but because your car is firmly fixed all the energy is transferred to crash of the two vehicles involved, and no energy gets transferred to you.

So how does ice change the energy transfer?

With the icy road conditions more energy is transferred to the occupant (you, unfortunately) and less is absorbed by the car. When there’s better friction in ground conditions, the energy created from the crash is able to be absorbed by the body of the car, and less by your body. Unfortunately, it’s much easier to fix a car, than a human.

What are the likely injuries?

Complaints after a car crash include headaches, neck pain, jaw pain, fatigue, memory difficulties, shoulder pain, arm pain, low back pain, upper back pain, balance difficulty, low back pain, hip pain, abdominal pain, among many others. These are common complaints; the most important thing to understand is the cause of these complaints. Neck pain is a complaint, but ligament damage is what’s causing the pain and without understanding the injury, the ability to resolve the complaint is limited. Common injuries that we see in car crashes include ligament damage, facet injuries, disc injuries, traumatic brain injuries, nerve injuries, among others.

The most important choice you’ll make after an auto injury?

Following an injury from a car crash you must make the right treatment decisions for your best possible outcomes. Most importantly, you need a proper evaluation of the injury so your treatment plan addresses the specific injury, not just the complaint. It’s essential to work with a practitioner who is familiar with auto injuries specifically. This, along with the proper physical exam and diagnostics, will not only determine the extent of the injuries, but a knowledgeable practitioner will also document them appropriately in case your accident becomes a legal situation.

We’ve got you covered!

At Gold Coast Chiropractic we are extremely experienced in treating these injuries and properly documenting them along with receiving excellent patient outcomes. Please feel free to call us at 312-988-9655 or click below to request an appointment.

Cheers,

Dr. Paul Fisher