Biomechanics of minor automobile accidents: treatment implications for associated chronic spine symptoms

Biomedical experimental data indicate that automobile accidents with no vehicle damage are unlikely to cause injury to the occupants. Soft tissue injuries heal in a few weeks. Chronic pain has never been produced by experimental injury and is much less common in countries without financial payments for accident victims. Chronic pain after no-damage collisions is probably caused by psychologic factors. Psychologic treatment should be added to conventional nonoperative treatment when no objective explanation for chronic symptoms is found.