Many patients report back pain after an auto accident. This can be a little difficult to understand, since the head and neck experience the brunt of the force in a rear end collision.

A few years ago, researchers studied this issue and found that many cases of back pain could be caused by the seat back.

What happens is this: during a rear end collision, the car is rapidly moved forward while the occupant lags behind. The car seat back is violently shoved into the occupant, causing the spine to straighten. If the force is large enough, the ligaments that hold the spine together can be strained, resulting in pain.

This article courtesy of Decatur, GA chiropractor, Dr. Mark Patrick.