Before you even start your car, there’s one simple step that could significantly reduce your risk of serious neck injury:
Adjust your headrest properly.
It takes just a few seconds—but it can make a lasting difference in protecting one of the most vulnerable areas of your body: your upper neck and brainstem.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
The average American will be involved in multiple motor vehicle accidents over their lifetime. While seat belts have dramatically reduced fatalities, they’ve also changed how the body absorbs impact.
As a result, whiplash injuries have become far more common.
And here’s the reality:
Whiplash happens incredibly fast.
- The entire event occurs in less than 500 milliseconds
- Most of the force happens in under 200 milliseconds
That’s faster than your muscles can react—meaning your body cannot actively protect itself during the impact.
So What Can You Do?
Preparation is everything.
Proper headrest positioning can help limit how far your head snaps backward during a collision—reducing stress on the neck and surrounding structures.
Here’s what to check:
- Distance: Keep your head within 2 inches of the headrest
- Height: The headrest should be at least level with the middle to top of your head
- Position: Never allow the headrest to sit below your head
If the headrest is too low, it can actually make things worse—creating a pivot point that increases strain on the neck during impact.
Making this a habit every time you get in the car is one of the simplest ways to protect your spine long-term.
What Happens During a Car Accident?
Even at low speeds, car accidents can cause significant stress to the body.
Research shows that soft tissue damage can occur regardless of speed—and in some cases, lower-speed collisions (under 10 mph) may still result in meaningful neck injury.
The most vulnerable area is the upper cervical spine, where the skull meets the first bone of the neck.
This region is:
- Highly mobile
- Structurally delicate
- Essential for proper nervous system function
Because of this, it is especially susceptible to injury during sudden acceleration and deceleration.
Why Symptoms Don’t Always Show Up Right Away
One of the biggest misconceptions about car accidents is that pain always appears immediately.
In reality, many people experience:
- Delayed neck stiffness
- Headaches days later
- Subtle changes in mobility or comfort
Because this area is so adaptable, dysfunction can exist even without obvious pain at first.
That’s why relying on symptoms alone isn’t always enough.
A Different Approach at Advanced Spinal Care
At Advanced Spinal Care, Dr. Lapenski focuses specifically on evaluating the upper cervical spine for misalignments following trauma.
Using the NUCCA (National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association) approach, care is designed to:
- Detect even small misalignments with precision
- Gently correct them without twisting or force
- Support long-term healing and stability
This region requires objective, precise measurement—not guesswork.
For nearly two decades, our office has helped patients recover from both recent and past accident-related injuries—often referred by friends and family who have experienced the difference in care.
Take the Next Step
If you’ve been in a car accident—whether recently or years ago—it may be worth having your upper neck evaluated.
Even if you feel fine, underlying issues can exist without obvious symptoms.
At Advanced Spinal Care, we offer consultations to help determine whether your spine is functioning properly and if any care is needed.
Because when it comes to protecting your health, small steps today can make a big difference long-term.
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Dr. Craig Lapenski at Advanced Spinal Care, in Graham, Washington is one of 27 Board Certified NUCCA Doctors worldwide. His clinic serves the highest quality upper cervical care in the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Lapenski also serves a number of patients who are out of state including Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New York, and more! He is uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines, headaches, fibromyalgia, vertigo, neck pain, back pain, and more. More information can be found on our website at https://www.nuccawashington.com/