out, or at least cursed at it for feeling like it’s pushing your head forward? Well that annoying piece of equipment could someday (or perhaps has already) save you from a nasty neck injury. Day in and day out, we employ various medical massage techniques and treatments, helping patients heal from whiplash injuries which might have been prevented, or at least seriously reduced, were the head restraint properly adjusted. Did you know that nearly 1/3rd of all car accidents are rear-end collisions—the type of accident most responsible for whiplash injuries?
Ouch! Now that’s a pain in the neck. And sometimes it can take months, even years to heal from just such an injury. So listen up…. What we commonly refer to as a head “rest” is actually a head “restraint”. Most people think that it’s just something to snooze on. One study found that only 10% of head restraints on the road are adjusted correctly. That means that 90% are adjusted incorrectly! The restraint should be positioned so the back of the head either touches it, or at least comes within two inches of it…the closer, the better. Next, it needs to be set high enough. Many adjustable head “rests” are set too low so that they act as pivots during hyper-extension (when your head bends back), causing more “whipping” and damage to both the front and back of your neck muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
The middle of your head should meet the middle of the restraint when you rest your head on it. Another common problem is that seats in cars are set back at an angle, so that many people drive leaning forward. In this situation, the head can easily and fully hyper-extend, even with a head restraint. The seat should be adjusted to be upright so that the driver’s head can remain in alignment with the rest of their body and close to the head rest. Although massage and other healing modalities can help you heal and feel better from many fender-benders, as they say, an “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” So take some time today to go out and check your head restraint. Actually get in your car, sit in your seat, and take note of the positioning of the restraint. Remember: it needs to be at least 2″, ideally closer, to your head. Safe driving!