In the JACA article, Dr. Croft shares seven ways to minimize pain and suffering before, during, and after a whiplash accident.

Shop for a Safer Car
Before you buy your next car, compare vehicle structural design, vehicle size and weight, and restraint systems -- belts, airbags, head restraints, and crash avoidance features. Consider mass and crashworthiness. "Small cars put you at greater risk," adds Dr. Croft. Also, check Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ratings for safest seats, head restraints, etc.

Keep Head Restraints in Up Position
Eighty percent of cars have the head restraint adjusted in the low position, yet research shows that having no head restraint is safer than having one in the low position. In addition, because head restraints are designed to fit the average man, it can be difficult for taller or shorter people to get a good fit. Some add-on head restraints are available, but check first for safety approval and ease of installation.

Prepare for Crash
Crashes happen at lightning-fast speeds, but if you have time to prepare:

• Put your head and your neck all the way back so that you're in contact with the seat back and the properly adjusted head restraint.
• Straight-arm the steering wheel and get a good grip.
• Put your foot on the brake as hard as you can (assuming that you are stopped, of course).
• Look straight ahead, not in the rearview mirror. Don't have your head turned at all.
• Put your neck back slightly so your eyes are looking level -- up at about the top of the windshield.
• Scrunch your shoulders up toward your ears and then brace.

Seek Treatment Immediately
According to Dr. Croft, "It's a huge advantage to get patients when they're fresh. Missing that important two-week opportunity increases the likelihood of a chronic condition."

Do What the Doctor Orders
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Contact: Felicity Feather
FFeather@amerchiro.org
703-276-8800
American Chiropractic Association
9-Feb-2000