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Wellness By Stuart Eivers, Lead Physical Therapist, MTI Physical Therapy at the WAC Tamela Thomas, Wellness Manager tamelat@wac.net 206.464.4639 Leaving a car crash behind rier—all of these things are critical steps if you experience a car colli- sion. But what about dealing with a debilitating stiff neck, overall body soreness, and a headache that makes liquid aspirin sound like Tastee Freez? F The aftereffects of a car wreck can make an unfortunate incident a bigger obstacle than you might have anticipated or feel like you have the energy to address. Being hurt slows us down and saps our vitality. That's why you need a plan—one that delivers expert care in a timely fashion and will yield the best result for your continued good health. This month's Wellness article discusses the importance of addressing whiplash, a common car collision injury, quickly and thoroughly to ensure it doesn't become a chronic condition. Proper and timely interventions can prove critical to quality of life. Our hope is that if you are in an accident, the WAC Wellness Center can be a part of your proactive plan. Whatever you decide, trying to tough it out will almost certainly not yield the best results. Healing from whiplash M their symptoms have proven to be perplexing and persistent—for them and for me. In recent years, however, the physical therapy industry has made large strides in research and innovation that can help untangle physical problems that linger long after the roadside wreckage has been cleared. It is increasingly clear that early intervention and identification of the issues at otor vehicle collisions represent one of the more common reasons people visit my office. During my 20 years as a physical therapist, I have seen hundreds of patients with injuries sustained on the road. In many cases, iling a police report, getting car repair estimates, following up with your insurance car- Physical therapy is critical but so is patient participation hand following a collision will lead to better and faster recovery. Too many times, I have seen patients who have experienced chronic or more engrained symptoms for far too long before our first visit. As their recovery drags, their likelihood of ever returning to the same level of health they experienced prior to the accident dimin- ishes. I also have seen too many patients undergo ineffective or harmful treatments that delay and prolong their recovery. Well, I'm not going to take it anymore! I'm speaking out about the benefits of early and evidence-based physical therapy so that you—and those you care about— can recover fully and quickly should you ever become injured in a car wreck. Whiplash or whiplash-associated disorder—also call W.A.D.—is a common prob- lem after a motor vehicle accident. In the U.S., it affects four out of every 1,000 people every year. The initial acute pain may be short-lived, but chronic problems associated with this acceleration-deceleration injury can occur in more than 40 percent of W.A.D. cases. 24 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | AUGUST 2012 JONATHAN SCHMIDT