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Car Accident During Rainy Season In San Francisco Bay Area

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CAR ACCIDENT DURING RAINIt has been raining very hard in San Francisco Bay Area during this rainy season. The last couple of weeks was heavier than usual. Land slides, damaged properties and numerous car accidents on the road. During summer people get used to driving in constant dry conditions knowing that there will not be a drop of rain water on a freeway. However, when rainy season arrives and freeways and roads are being washed with the first drops of rain and old oil and grease from the vehicle turn the concrete on freeways into and ice skate ring. Californians loose a guard of driving over the summer. Thus, is the reason for high number of car accident in the entire State of California and San Francisco Bay Area in general. My San Leandro Chiropractic Clinic and five other clinics see way more patients during the rainy season. All drivers must understand how to drive during the rainy season and what can cause automobile accident.

A great number of drivers do not know how to drive during a rainy season. There are two types of drivers during bad weather conditions: those who lack confidence and those who are reckless drivers. Both types are dangerous on the roads.

Those drivers who lack confidence on the road during rain have a tendency to overestimate the danger of weather conditions and driver slower then the rest of the traffic flow on a freeway. This type of driver can be the cause of a back up traffic, and increasing the risk of rear end collision which can cause whiplash injury. This soft tissue injury is very common type of an automobile collision.

Those drivers who are reckless drivers often ignore the warning signs during the bad weather. These type of drivers are more than happy to see almost empty freeway and will use an opportunity to drive even faster than usual with low visibility and drenched roads. Even SUVs with all wheel drive systems and 4x4WD vehicles can easily loose traction with a road and easily skid. When a heavy vehicle like that is loosing traction during high speed it is recipe for a disaster. Please do not test your limits – the risk is far greater than a few seconds of an adrenaline rush.

Rain Makes the Road Slippery

Rain can make it much harder to stay on a road, being able to stop, or avoiding a collision with another motor vehicle. As I have mentioned above the road becomes very slippery because the oil rises to the surface and creates a greasy surface. If one can not stop a car on time, car accident is inevitable.

Rain Decreases Visibility

 

Make sure that your vehicle has functional windshield wipers. During rain storms, the visibility on the road is very minimal and it is hard to see other cars. Dirty water splashed from other vehicles on your windshield can block your view completely. It is like driving with your eyes closed on a freeway. Properly functional wipers will reduce this risk.

 

Car Accident Prevention Tips For the Rain

 

1.  Drive slower.

This tip is for a better reaction times.  Rainwater causes grease and oil built up on the road to surface and tires traction suffers as a result.  If you drive slower, your tire traction will improve and you will also have more time to brake and slow your vehicle down.

 

2.  Keep your eyes on the car ahead of you.

Pay extra attention to the traffic ahead of you during rainy days. During beautiful sunny day, you can see the traffic situation a couple hundred feet ahead and react accordingly.  On a rainy day, it is important to pay attention to the reaction of the driver ahead of you.  When that driver brakes, you brake as well.  Still keep a safe following distance from the car in front because you’ll need to brake more slowly on a slippery road to avoid skidding.  Keeping the distance is the key in order to prevent car accident and soft tissue injury.

3.  Do not brake suddenly.

 

Sudden braking may cause a skid.  Since the roads are slippery, stopping the wheels too quickly may cause them to lose all traction with the road, and an imminent car accident becomes a distinct possibility.  In the case that skidding occurs, however, remain calm and do not make sudden turns because doing so may make the skidding even more dangerous.  Just try to remain calm and steer straight until you feel the car regain traction.

4.  Correctly defog your windows.

 

The windows on your car might fog, further limiting you visibility.  You try to defog with the heater, but that will only further fog up your windows.  To defog, keep your air conditioning blowing at both your windshield and your back window.  If your car has a defog function, just press the button, and defogging should start automatically. Try not to wipe fogged window with your hand as it is going to make things even worse.

5.  Avoid standing or flood water.

Middle of the road is usually higher that the left and right shoulder of the road. Staying in the middle will help you to avoid driving in buildup rain water. Most of the vehicles will not be able to drive through the pool of water and have a firm grip in deep water like SUV or 4×4. Try to stay away from those pools of water. If for some reason you do need to go through standing water, lightly tap a brake pedal couple of times and shake your tire with excess of water.

It would be great if everyone would stop driving during a heavy rain. However, that is impossible. In modern days society people are too busy and they have places to go and things to do. You can always pull over to the side and wait it out if you really think it’s raining too hard to drive.

If you were involved in a Car Accident and sustained soft tissue injury feel free to CONTACT one of our San Francisco Bay Area Chiropractic Clinics and we will be more than happy to help you. Most of the cases are on lien bases. That means you do not have to pay out of pocket for care. We do all of the paper work for you and deal with insurance paperwork.

Whiplash Injury Prevention Technology

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whiplash injury prevention technologyThousands of claims for in-road accidents are submitted each year and the leading injury claim submitted is for whiplash injury. This type of traffic accident occurs during low speed driving with a rear impact collision. In fact, Europe has the title of being the capital of whiplash as millions of pounds of insurance money are claimed each year for this injury alone.

A simple solution for this problem, according to US research from the Georgia Institute of Technology, is with some mathematical calculations. Rear end collisions could easily be avoided with algorithms that are inserted into the computer of a car that will inform the driver if the car that is in front is going slow down. Research shows that a trailing driver’s perception of the leading driver’s speed is usually wrong. They are less capable of calculating the right speed of the car that is in front of them for speeds that is less than 8 mi/hr. That means for slow driving, the trailing car usually miscalculates the true slow speed of the vehicle in front.

From the result of these studies, an early warning system was developed by scientists. This mathematical algorithm of the speed of the front vehicle will hopefully minimize the possibilities of rear end collisions that lead to whiplash injury for the drivers of front vehicles. This new algorithm copies the behavior of the driver and it takes over once a rear vehicle is speeding too quickly to the vehicle in front. This new technology will take some control away from the driver and is now being explored by Mercedes Benz and other high end vehicle manufacturers. This type of algorithm, through researches in Georgia, could be incorporated into a huge range of car brands to reduce the amount of rear end collision cases, and eventually reducing the cases of whiplash.

This algorithm will follow the style of driving and braking of the driver and copies it. It can also put in pre-programmed protocols for safety so the driver would be alerted of the speed and distance of the car in front. This way collision could be avoided. Mercedes Benz also included emergency brakes that will stop the vehicle right before the impact. This is Mercedes’s way of kicking it up a notch over the technology from Georgia researchers.

These safety algorithms could really make a big difference as it could greatly reduce the number of rear-end impacts on our roads especially during low velocity driving. And because these minor car accidents lead to serious whiplash injuries that costs a lot of money, this technology is being improved by the leading research scientists which shows that they do take this problem seriously. Our modern technology is improving and advancing at a great speed. Eventually these problems will be avoided completely through the help of modern gadgets and computer programs.

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Chiropractic Rehabilitation and 4 Stages of Soft Tissue Healing

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The healing process is divided into four broad stages which are not mutually exclusive and overlap considerably.

1. Initial vascular reaction – Active Swelling

2. Inflammatory response – Passive Congestion

3. Proliferative phase – Repair

4. Remodeling 

Wound healing refers to the body’s replacement of destroyed tissue by living tissue (Walter & Israel 1987). It comprises of two essential components whose differentiation is based on resultant tissue: Regeneration and Repair.

TISSUE INJURY CAUSES RESTRICTION OF MOTION DUE TO:

  1. Inflammation & Swelling
  2. Pain
  3. Muscle Spasm 

THE MAJOR GOALS OF CHIROPRACTIC CARE:

  1. Relieve Pain
  2. Promote Full Healing
  3. Restore & Maintain Full Function
  4. Reduce the Likelihood of Re-Injury
  5. Prevent Accelerated Degeneration 

Chiropractic Care Should Continue Throughout the Repair Stage. It Take Longer For Tissues to Heal & Normal Function to be Restored Than it Takes for Pain Relief. Pain Relief is not the Only Goal.  Chiropractic Helps:

  1. Restore Normal Motion, Function & Biomechanics
  2. Improve Alignment of New Connective Tissue
  3. Prevent Shortening of Scar Tissue & Chronic Stiffness
  4. Restore & Maintain Flexibility of Ligaments & Muscles
  5.  Restore Normal Muscle Tone
  6. Promote Quicker, More Effective Healing
  7. Restore & Maintain Normal Sensation
  8. Reduce the Risk of Re-Injury and Degeneration 

STAGES OF SOFT TISSUE HEALING

 

STAGE I: ACTIVE SWELLING

  1. Swelling Occurs for 12 to 72 hours
  2. Motion is lost and pain increases 

Goals of Care: Minimize pain and swelling

Care:

  1. Rest & Support of Injured Area
  2. Ice to Block Swelling, Pain, and Spasm 

STAGE II: PASSIVE CONGESTION   

Fluid trapped in tissues restricts motion, causes pain, & delays healing. Begins by second to fourth day

Goals of Care for Passive Congestion:

  1. Remove fluid
  2. Pain Relief
  3. Begin to restore range of motion 

Care:

  1. Chiropractic Adjustments Help
  • restore motion
  • block pain
  • restore normal sensation
  • relax tight muscles
  • remove swelling
  • accelerate healing
  1. Heat and Cold to Remove Fluid
  2. Controlled Motion Exercises
  3. Physical Therapy helps in Some Cases
  4. Acupuncture Can Help With Pain Control 

STAGE III: REPAIR

Beginning 5 days after injury, scar tissue is made for up to 6 weeks. 

Lack of motion causes excess scar tissue in dense patterns disrupting normal function causing:

  1. Excess Scarring
  2. Chronic Stiffness
  3. Limited Range of Motion
  4. Poor Biomechanics
  5. Chronic Pain
  6. Weak Muscles & Ligaments
  7. Loss of Normal Sensation
  8. Poor Nutrition
  9. Increased risk of Re-Injury
  10. Accelerated Degeneration 

If Motion is Restored & Maintained, Tissues Heal in a Much More Functional Way.

Coals of Repair Stage:

  1. Restore Normal Range of Motion
  2. Restore Sensation
  3. Promote Full Healing
  4. Relieve Pain 

STAGE IV: REMODELING 

Connective tissue remodels for better strength & flexibility. This often takes 3 to 14 week but may take up to 1 year with severe injury. 

Chiropractic Helps Achieve these Goals:

  1. Improve & Maintain Motion & Flexibility
  2. Restore & Maintain Function
  3. Reduce Chronic Pain
  4. Reduce Risk of Re-Injury & Degeneration

This Post was based on Dr. Malik Slosberg’s Research.

What is Whiplash?

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Personal injury is a term often used to describe an injury most commonly caused by a car accident. It may also include other types of injury such as a slip or fall. Whiplash is most commonly associated with rear-end car collisions in which the heads of those in the front car are suddenly snapped back and forth by the impact. It is more accurately called cervical acceleration/deceleration (CAD) trauma or syndrome, which describes the rapid movements that can injure the vertebrae of the neck and the muscles and ligaments that support them.

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Who suffers from whiplash?

Anyone can be subjected to whiplash, even in a low-force car crash at speeds as low as 5mph. But injuries associated with whiplash can also result from other mishaps in which the head is pushed or jerked beyond its normal range of motion. Whiplash most commonly causes serious and lingering neck pain, but there may also be back pain, headaches and dizziness. As much as bruising of the brain can sometimes occur in auto accidents. Severe cases of whiplash, may include symptoms such as blurred vision, ringing in the ears, nausea and numbness.
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