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Whiplash: What you need to know

Whiplash refers to a series of neck injuries caused by or related to a sudden distortion of the neck. Whiplash, or whiplash -associated disorder (WAD), is often the result of being struck from behind, for example, by a fast moving vehicle in an automobile accident. When a blow is struck, the individual's body is immediately pushed forward while the head remains behind for an instant. This forces the head to rock up and back, stretching and sometimes tearing some muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The muscles automatically contract and bring the head forward, sometimes too far, and the head may rock forward violently, further stretching or tearing muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Fast facts on whiplash Whiplash can be caused by a collision from any direction, not just behind. It can also be caused in other ways, including abuse, horse riding, and contact sports. Sometimes, the full effect of whiplash is not felt for 24 hours or more after the incident. Symptoms can include lower  back

Being jostled in a car accident should only cause a few weeks of pain—so why do some people suffer longer? Are they faking it for insurance money? Is it all in their heads?

The first passenger railroad in the United States—the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad—began construction in 1828. Five years later, in 1833, the country saw its first fatal train accident. As train travel proliferated, train wrecks became “a surprisingly frequent form of disaster,†the historian Richard Selcer   writes . And “the single worst type of railroad accident … not to mention the most frequent, was the rear-end collision.†Passengers involved in these train crashes would sometimes come down with a peculiar constellation of symptoms, including back pain, arm pain, headaches, hearing problems, anxiety, insomnia, lowered sex drive, and memory problems. These symptoms would appear even in the absence of any visible injuries. The condition was known colloquially as “railway spine.†The physician John Eric Erichsen suggested that it might be caused by the “‘jarring back and forth’ of the spine, although he could not explain what exactly happened to the spinal cord a

Being jostled in a car accident should only cause a few weeks of pain—so why do some people suffer longer? Are they faking it for insurance money? Is it all in their heads?

The first passenger railroad in the United States—the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad—began construction in 1828. Five years later, in 1833, the country saw its first fatal train accident. As train travel proliferated, train wrecks became “a surprisingly frequent form of disaster,” the historian Richard Selcer   writes . And “the single worst type of railroad accident … not to mention the most frequent, was the rear-end collision.” Passengers involved in these train crashes would sometimes come down with a peculiar constellation of symptoms, including back pain, arm pain, headaches, hearing problems, anxiety, insomnia, lowered sex drive, and memory problems. These symptoms would appear even in the absence of any visible injuries. The condition was known colloquially as “railway spine.” The physician John Eric Erichsen suggested that it might be caused by the “‘jarring back and forth’ of the spine, although he could not explain what exactly happened to the spinal cord as a result.” So write