Neck Pain and Concussion: How Traction Fits Into a Car Crash Recovery Plan

Written by Dr. Ron Losiewicz, D.C.
Chiropractic Physician specializing in car accident injuries and concussion diagnostics | Injury Recovery Center, Denver

When you’ve been in a car accident, your body doesn’t always show all its injuries at once. Neck pain might appear within hours. A headache might linger for days. And sometimes, what feels like whiplash is actually two injuries layered on top of each other: soft tissue damage in your neck and a concussion.

This creates a clinical challenge. Intersegmental traction—a gentle, passive therapy that helps restore motion to the spine—is a common tool in car crash recovery. But when a concussion is part of the picture, the question becomes: Is it safe to use traction while the brain is still healing?

The short answer is yes, when guided by the right diagnostics. At Injury Recovery Center, we use VitalCNS neurocognitive testing, BESS balance assessment, and VOMS vestibular ocular motor screen to monitor brain function in real time. This allows us to tailor mechanical therapies like intersegmental traction to your body’s current state—not a generic timeline.

This article explains how we make those decisions, when traction is appropriate, and why coordinating with neurologists isn’t optional—it’s standard care.

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Why Car Crashes Create a “Double Injury” Problem

Most people understand whiplash. Your head snaps forward and backward. Ligaments stretch. Muscles strain. Neck pain follows.

But concussions are less visible. A concussion occurs when your brain moves inside your skull—whether from direct impact or sudden deceleration. You don’t need to hit your head on the dashboard to have one. In fact, many concussions in car accidents happen from the force of the crash alone.

Here’s where it gets tricky: the symptoms of whiplash and concussion overlap.

Common symptoms shared by both injuries include:

• Headaches (especially at the base of the skull)
• Dizziness or balance issues
• Neck stiffness
• Sensitivity to light or sound
• Fatigue or “brain fog”

This overlap means traditional chiropractic protocols—designed for musculoskeletal injury—may not account for neurological recovery. If you treat only the neck and ignore the brain, you risk worsening concussion symptoms. If you pause all treatment waiting for the concussion to fully resolve, you may lose the early window when soft tissue responds best to care.

The solution isn’t choosing one or the other. It’s integrating both considerations into a single, coordinated plan.

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What Intersegmental Traction Actually Does

Intersegmental traction (IST) is a type of passive therapy. You lie face-up on a table while rollers move slowly beneath your spine, creating gentle, rhythmic motion. It’s not spinal decompression. It’s not a stretch table. And it’s not a manual adjustment.

Think of it as “assisted movement.” The table guides your spine through ranges of motion you might not be able to achieve on your own—especially after a crash when muscles are guarding, and movement feels restricted.

How IST supports recovery:

• Reduces muscle guarding. Trauma causes muscles to “lock down.” Gentle motion helps signal safety to the nervous system.
• Encourages fluid exchange. Movement promotes circulation and cerebrospinal fluid flow, which both play roles in healing.
• Prepares tissue for manual therapy. When muscles are less reactive, hands-on treatment is more effective and more comfortable.

Intersegmental traction is not aggressive. It’s not fast. And it’s never forced. The patient controls the session—if something doesn’t feel right, we stop immediately.

But here’s the critical nuance: motion therapy that’s safe for a neck injury isn’t automatically safe for a concussed brain.

Some concussion patients tolerate movement well. Others experience symptom provocation—meaning headaches, nausea, or dizziness worsen during or after motion. This is why we don’t rely on protocols. We rely on testing.

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How We Decide If Traction Is Safe After a Concussion

The majority of chiropractic offices don’t perform concussion testing. That’s not a criticism—it’s simply outside their scope. But when you only treat car crash injuries, concussion diagnostics become essential.

We use BESS balance assessment and VOMS vestibular ocular motor screen, which measure:

• Balance and postural stability
• Smooth pursuit eye movements
• Saccadic eye movements (rapid eye shifts)
• Convergence (near point focus)
• Vestibular ocular reflex (VOR)
• Visual motion sensitivity

It’s the same system used by neurologists, sports concussion centers, and hospital-based programs. It’s not subjective. It’s not a checklist. It’s objective data.

Here’s how BESS and VOMS guide our traction decisions:

Baseline Testing
If you come to us within 72 hours of your crash, we establish a baseline. This snapshot shows us where your balance, eye movement, and vestibular function are right now—not compared to a generic norm, but as a reference point for your recovery.

Symptom Provocation Monitoring
Before starting any mechanical therapy, we ask: Does movement make your symptoms worse? If lying flat increases your headache, or if gentle neck motion triggers nausea, that’s a red flag. Traction gets paused.

Serial Testing
We retest every 7–10 days. If your scores improve and symptoms stabilize, we introduce or expand traction. If scores plateau or worsen, we modify the approach or refer to neurology.

This is the “information gain” no other content covers. Most articles say, “Wait until the concussion heals, then start treatment.” We say, “Let the data tell us when it’s safe—not the calendar.”

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Three Scenarios: When Traction Is Used, Modified, or Paused

Let’s walk through three real (anonymized) cases that show how this works in practice.

Scenario 1: Traction Introduced Early (Mild Concussion, Stable Symptoms)

A 34-year-old woman was rear-ended at moderate speed. She had a headache and mild neck stiffness but no memory issues, dizziness, or light sensitivity. VITAL CNS showed reaction time slightly below baseline but within functional range.

Our approach:
We started intersegmental traction on day five. Sessions were short (8 minutes), low intensity, and closely monitored. She reported no symptom provocation. By week two, her neck range of motion improved, and follow-up testing showed her cognitive scores returning to baseline.

Traction was safe because the data supported it—and because we kept communication open with her neurologist, who had already cleared her for light activity.

Scenario 2: Traction Modified (Moderate Concussion, Positional Sensitivity)

A 42-year-old man had whiplash and a documented concussion (diagnosed in the ER). His chief complaint was neck pain, but he also had persistent headaches that worsened when lying flat.

Our approach:
We delayed intersegmental traction for 10 days. Instead, we focused on gentle manual therapy in a seated position and coordinated with his concussion center for vestibular therapy. When retesting showed improved tolerance and reduced positional sensitivity, we introduced traction at half the typical duration and with modified table settings (less range of motion).

He tolerated it well. By week four, we were running full sessions with no symptom flare.

Scenario 3: Traction Paused (Severe Concussion, Referral Prioritized)

A 29-year-old woman came in with significant neck pain but also reported memory gaps, severe light sensitivity, and emotional lability. VITAL CNS results were notably impaired across multiple domains.

Our approach:
We did not use traction. We immediately referred her to a neurologist and a concussion rehabilitation center. Our role shifted to coordination—communicating her test results, tracking her progress through their care, and keeping her attorney informed.

Once she was cleared by neurology and her symptoms stabilized (about six weeks post-crash), we reintroduced mechanical therapies. Traction became part of her plan at that point—but only after neurological safety was confirmed.

This is what “concussion-aware chiropractic” means. It’s not about doing more treatment. Sometimes it’s about knowing when to pause and refer.

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Why We Coordinate With Neurologists—Not Just Chiropractors

One of the biggest misconceptions in post-crash care is that chiropractic and neurology are separate tracks. In a well-coordinated practice, they’re not.

When we identify concussion symptoms or concerning VITAL CNS results, we don’t just “mention it” to the patient. We actively refer to trusted neurologists and concussion centers in the Denver area. Our referral communication includes:

• VITAL CNS test results
• Symptom timeline
• Treatment plan (what we’ve done, what we’ve paused)
• Specific clinical questions (e.g., “Is vestibular therapy indicated?”)

And when the neurologist sends back their findings, we adjust our care accordingly. If they recommend avoiding cervical manipulation, we honor that. If they clear the patient for progressive loading, we resume or expand mechanical therapies.

This isn’t “just chiropractic.” This is integrated care.

It also protects the patient legally. If you’re involved in a personal injury claim, having coordinated medical records—where the chiropractor and neurologist are clearly communicating—strengthens your case. It shows that your injuries were taken seriously and managed appropriately.

What To Do Next

If you’ve been in a car accident and you’re dealing with neck pain, headaches, or any symptoms that suggest a concussion, don’t wait to get evaluated.

At Injury Recovery Center, we specialize exclusively in car crash injuries. Every patient receives individualized care, VITAL CNS neurocognitive testing, and coordination with medical specialists when necessary. We don’t use cookie-cutter treatment plans, and we never rush your recovery.

Your first step is simple: call us.

We’ll talk through your symptoms, explain the testing process, and create a plan that prioritizes both your neck and your brain.

Three Denver-area locations:
Lakewood | 2290 Kipling St Unit 6, Lakewood, CO 80215
Englewood | 730 W Hampden Ave Ste. 250, Englewood, CO 80110
Aurora | 14241 E 4th Ave Building 5, Ste. 5-354, Aurora, CO 80011

Call today and speak with Dr. Ron directly.

You’re not a case number. You’re a person. And your recovery deserves a plan built around you—not a protocol pulled from a manual.

FAQ: Your Questions About Traction and Concussion Recovery