Postural Disturbances Associated with Whiplash Injuries to the Cervical Spine (pp. 243-250)
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Authors: Adam Klotzek and Frederick R. Carrick
Abstract: Millions of Americans are involved in motor vehicle accidents annually resulting in injuries to the cervical spine. Many of these individuals continue to complain of ongoing symptomatology that does appear to be pain based. These include but may not be limited to dizziness, vertigo, fogginess, imbalance, fatigue, loss of concentration, neck stiffness and blurred vision. These symptoms are often seen in Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD) and may persist for extended periods of time; eventually leading to long term disability. This paper reviews the neurological mechanisms linking the cervical spine to postural control and discusses how injury to the somatic structures of the cervical spine negatively impacts the delicate interdependence between central and peripheral postural control systems. This paper will further review how physicians may facilitate rehabilitation of these injuries through the selection of specific excitatory environmental potentials that are in concert with an individual’s specific central neurological dysregulation.
