Chiropractor Certified In Crash Risk Analysis

Town Crier

February 24, 2006

Over three million whiplash injuries occur each year resulting from motor vehicle crashes. Of these whiplash injuries, 500,000 people will have chronic problems, and up to 300,000 will have some degree of disability.

Dr. Scott Snyder, a Royal Palm Beach chiropractor, said consumers need to be educated about the issues surrounding whiplash — both concerning its treatment and, more importantly, its prevention.

In order to more effectively treat patients injured in motor vehicle crashes, Snyder recently became certified in Motor Vehicle Crash Forensic Risk Analysis at the CRASH 2005 International Whiplash Conference in San Diego, California. The annual program is hosted by the Spine Research Institute of San Diego, a research center devoted to the investigation of motor vehicle crash injury. For the past 19 years, SRISD has focused research and education on the more common spinal injuries sustained in everyday motor vehicle crashes, such as whiplash and mild traumatic brain injuries.

The research agenda for CRASH 2005 included full-scale live crash testing with both human subjects and high-tech crash dummies in multiple low-speed tests. These crashes were created and analyzed, along with several other projects, in order to improve understanding of injury mechanisms.

As part of this intensive three-day program, Snyder learned the latest methods of forensic risk analysis to better understand not only the effects of the forces and loads imposed upon patient’s spines and brains in low-speed crashes, but also the various risk factors that can increase a person’s chance for injury or long-term symptoms.

“By understanding the unusual biomechanics of this form of trauma, diagnostic methods and treatment can be much more effectively administered in the clinical setting,” said Snyder.

An evaluation of event data recorders (EDRs) — the car’s “black box,” and how it performs in low-velocity crashes, and a comparison of Saab’s new anti-whiplash head restraint seat with standard car seats using human volunteer subjects in full scale car-to-car crash tests was also part of the program. CRASH 2005 also featured a prestigious list of speakers from throughout the United States and abroad.

For more information about SRISD, visit www.srisd.com or call 1-800-423-9860.