“Whiplash” is the term used commonly to describe a soft tissue injury to the neck, which occurs when the head has been forced into a sudden forward and backward movement. Your chiropractor or medical practitioner may also use the term “acceleration flexion-extension neck injury” or “hyper-extension neck injury”. The most common cause of whiplash is a motor vehicle accident, but it can also be the result of a sporting injury or other trauma. Child abuse, particularly the shaking of a child, can also result in this injury, as well as more serious injuries to the child’s brain or spinal cord known as “shaken baby syndrome”. 

Most people understand the importance of standing and sitting up straight. This is true when looking at the spine from the front or back. However, when viewed from the side, a healthy spine is not straight at all but made up of 3 mobile curves.