Some say you should brace yourself, others say you should relax as much as possible. Which is better?
Say you’re stopped at a red light, and in your rearview mirror, you see the car behind you isn’t slowing down.
You know you’re about to be rear-ended.
How should you react?
What you want to do is brace yourself as much as possible.
Here’s why.
By bracing yourself you will be activating and tightening the muscles throughout your body which will help stabilize and protect your joints.
If you are relaxed, the muscles cannot hold the joints in their proper position, so the risk of injury increases.
And as an upper cervical NUCCA chiropractic clinic, we have studied the data.
The patients that were rear-ended, and braced themselves for impact, were far less injured than those who did not brace.
The patients that braced also recovered faster under upper cervical NUCCA chiropractic care, compared to those who didn’t brace, or than those who did not see the collision coming.
So, what does “brace yourself” mean exactly?
- Lean your head tightly against the headrest, face forward – this will minimize the damage to the rotational ligaments of the upper neck. If you are rear-ended, and your head is turned, the upper cervical (neck) ligaments are much more likely to rupture.
- Tuck your chin (making a double chin) – the neck joints are more vulnerable to injury when your chin is neutral or extended upward.
- Place both hands on the steering wheel, gripping tightly, locking out your elbows as much as possible pressing your back tightly against the seatback.
- Place both feet on the brake and lock out your legs/knees as much as possible.
- Lastly, brace and tighten all of the muscles in your body, especially the neck and core muscles.
Each and every one of these steps is designed to help reduce the inertial differences between the neck and the rest of the spine – designed to protect you.
After all, 40% of all car accidents end in rear-ended collisions.
So follow these 5 steps, to reduce your risk of getting hurt and developing an s-curve in your neck.
We encourage everyone reading this, if you ever get into a car accident, go see your upper cervical chiropractor for an evaluation within 3 days.
And if possible go to an upper cervical NUCCA chiropractor, someone that is gentle and specific when working with your neck.
NUCCA is the perfect fit for car accident whiplash injuries because of how gentle and specific it is.
We don’t recommend any twisting or cracking neck adjustments after an accident.
And the best part is, most of your medical expenses, including chiropractic, are covered by your car insurance.
Click below to schedule a free Video Consultation with Dr. Corey Burt to see if NUCCA Chiropractic is right for you.