Whiplash is the over-extending or straining of the neck muscles due to some sort of impact. Often it is related to car accidents, but it can also occur during a sports game, bungee jumping, shaken baby syndrome, and incidents where a direct blow to the head occurs. Whiplash associated disorders are a group of conditions brought about by whiplash. They are also known as coup contrecoup injuries.

These types of injuries have a negative effect on the cerebrum, the largest part of the brain that resides just below the skull. The cerebrum is the uppermost region of the central nervous system. It consists of the following:

• Basal ganglia or basal nuclei: Responsible for learning and memory.
• Olfactory bulb: This is near the bottom side of the brain and transmits smells from the nose to the brain.
• Cerebral cortex: Has to do with attention perception, language, memory, consciousness, and thought.
• Limbic system: Supports such functions as emotions, motivation, olfaction, adrenaline, behaviors, and long-term memory.
• Hippocampus: Part of the limbic system and controls spatial navigation and memory (long and short-term).

How Whiplash Causes Coup Contrecoup Injuries

What exactly is a coup contrecoup injury? Breaking it down, it is actually referring to two different injuries that often occur at the same time. The coup injury has to do with where the head was hit with an object. Usually, the moving object impacts the head. The contrecoup injury has to do with the opposite side of where the head was hit, similar to ricocheting. Usually, the moving head hits an object.

Where to Get Help for Whiplash

If a person has been diagnosed with whiplash, a good place to look for help is to seek the care of an upper cervical chiropractor. When whiplash happens, the neck often becomes misaligned. By realigning the bones of the upper neck vertebrae, the tissue and muscles can begin to heal, and the effects of whiplash can be done away with. If left untreated, it may lead to fibromyalgia, migraines, and a number of other conditions.

To find a Doctor in your area go to www.NUCCA.org or if you are in the Redwood City California area to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click the button below:

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Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/