Improve your driving safety and comfort with the Add On Head Rest™ ... because whiplash injury is often more than just a pain in the neck.

Whiplash injury affects over one million people in the U.S. each year and is the most common injury resulting from car accidents.  Whiplash injury symptoms are often chronic problems that persist for years.  Headaches, neck pain, low back pain, and travel anxieties are but a few of these symptoms.  Between 25 and 40 percent of whiplash injury victims never fully recover. Head restraints designed properly can prevent whiplash injury.

Each year over one million people in the United States sustain whiplash injury.  About 25 percent result in long term chronic disorders although some literature suggests that 43 percent of patients will suffer long-term symptoms.  One study reported that after six months, 38 percent of patients still reported daily or constant headaches, neck pain, or neck stiffness.  Symptoms may last for months or even years and for some, it can last a life time, never making a complete recovery.  It can be especially troublesome for women who don't have as much muscle mass in the neck as men.

Whiplash injuries can range from mild muscle strain to even death.  It is believed that most people on TWA Flight 800 were killed instantly by whiplash -- not in the fireball or crash.  In many cases, symptoms don't occur until hours after the accident.  Associated symptoms include headaches, low back pain, neck pain, nausea, decreased range of motion, tingling in the arms and legs, dizziness, sleep disturbances, visual symptoms including vertigo, post-concussion syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia and travel anxiety.  Neck pain, which accompanies all whiplash injuries, reminds the victim of the accident continually and interferes with common daily activities.

 

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Whiplash " ... is the acceleration-deceleration mechanism of energy transfer to the neck.  The magnitude of the problem is great ... at least one percent of the entire population will experience chronic pain due to whiplash.” Olson, L.  American Physical Therapy Association  The acceleration-deceleration forces which cause whiplash injury are sufficient to permanently disable you. Even in a low speed rear impact collision of 8 mph, your head moves roughly 18 inches, at a force as great as 7 G’s in less than a quarter of a second.  The Discovery space shuttle is only built to withstand a maximum of 3 G’s.

The above definition states that whiplash is the transfer of energy to the neck.  What may be surprising is that this energy transfer is not equal.  The force that an accident victim is exposed to is generally two and a half times greater than that which the vehicle is struck.  A common misconception is that if there is no vehicle damage, there would be equally little or no injury.  Manufacturers use of rigid or stiff motor vehicle bodies and chassis as well as improved bumper systems also produce an increased G force to occupants involved in car accidents.  Minor vehicle damage may actually result in greater personal injury.

Understanding the 'whiplash injury' event has been a slow process due to the nature of the injuries.  The injury mechanism, or the biomechanics of the 'whiplash' event are not fully understood.  Crash test dummies have not been able to provide adequate whiplash injury criteria and human volunteers have often been considered the most reliable source of obtaining data.  Early whiplash tests involved monkeys and even recently, cadavers have been used to understand the mechanics of the injury.  Accident reconstruction experts measure the injurious forces generated in a car accident with arrays of accelerometers attached to a crash test volunteer.  Occupant G forces are compared to vehicle velocity or more specifically the change in velocity of the impact vehicle, or Delta V.

Recent studies at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden suggest that rapid changes in the spinal column pressure cause damage to the nerves.  Rapid change in the spinal fluid result in pressure damage to nerve fibers because the forces that occur during a rear impact happen too fast to allow normal fluid exchange.  This research indicates that the speed at which the motion occurs is more critical compared to the extent of the neck motion.  Some studies show that the range of motion is equally important.

Head angular acceleration and resultant linear head acceleration are considered key injury predictors.  The head angular acceleration refers to the speed of the rotation of the head around its axis (see photos above), and the resultant linear head acceleration refers to the overall speed the head travels on a linear or horizontal plane.  Reducing either or both of these factors would result in reducing the severity and duration of whiplash injuries.

Independent crash tests showed remarkable reductions of both forces when using the Add On Head Rest.

The Washington Times, May 8, 1998
“After market head restraint termed safer”
Independent testing by Texas A+M's accident reconstruction program identified remarkable results using the Add On Head Rest in low impact, rear end crash tests.  In comparative tests, using human volunteers and multitudes of scientific equipment, a 73 percent decrease of head angular acceleration and a 38 percent reduction of the resultant linear head acceleration were documented when using the Add On Head Rest.

Rusty Haight, San Diego, CA. Staff Instructor for Texas Engineering Extension Service, Texas A+M University.  An accident reconstruction specialist, Rusty is a crash test volunteer and has performed more than 320 crash tests.

"In terms of going backwards, that's more benign than a lot of them (crash tests) that I've done.  You don't want to do this flexion-extension business as bad and this (the Add On Head Rest) did prevent me, it prevented me from going back further.  It's a good idea.  What I liked is that when I went back into the seat back, there was less of a neck rotation, head rotation backwards, significantly less. It's a good idea."  

GUARANTEE We are so confident that you will be completely satisfied with our Add On Head Rest that we have extended the normal 30 day money back guarantee to 60 days.  It's that good!  If you don't agree that this is the most comfortable auto cushion, return it within 60 days and we will gladly refund your money, no questions asked.  Call now and experience it yourself. The Add On Head Rest, for whiplash injury protection and relief from back pain and neck pain.

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