Whiplash injuries most commonly result from seemingly minor low-speed rear-end collisions. The reason for the injury is not known but it is generally thought that the sudden acceleration of the body relative to the head damages the joints and muscles of the neck, which can lead to long-lasting pain.
Jean-Sébastien Blouin and colleagues at The University of British Columbia, collaborating with MEA Forensic Engineers & Scientists, exposed subjects to rear-end collisions that were sometimes accompanied by loud sounds. They showed that a significant component of the muscle reaction in a first collision – like the unexpected one on the roads – arises through being startled by the abrupt motion and loud sound of the impact. This new finding promises a new understanding of the causes of this common injury, leading to new ways of prevention and management.
Melanie Thomson | Source: alphagalileo
Further information: www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1113/jphysiol.2006.108274
More articles from Health and Medicine:
Immune system activated in schizophrenia
20.11.2009 | Karolinska Institutet
New research helps explain why bird flu has not caused a pandemic
20.11.2009 | Imperial College London
Scientists Unravel Evolution of Highly Toxic Box Jellyfish
20.11.2009 | Life Sciences
When good companies do bad things: Examining illegal corporate behavior
20.11.2009 | Business and Finance
UCR plant scientist's research spawns new discoveries showing how crops survive drought
20.11.2009 | Agricultural and Forestry Science
Multidisciplinary meeting on Urological Cancers aims to benefit cancer patients
20.11.2009 | Event News
'Golden Age' for clinical psychology in Northern Ireland
20.11.2009 | Event News
New Perspectives in Marine Anti-Fouling Research
11.11.2009 | Event News