Chiropractor earns advanced crash certification

Dr. Fred Jones, a Merrick-based chiropractor, recently received an advanced certification from the Spinal Research Institute of San Diego. The certification gives Jones, 57, the most up-to-date credentials to treat car-crash victims.

The program took place in 2010 from February to November, when Jones traveled to different locations such as Boston, Chicago and San Diego to study the effect of whiplash on car-crash victims. After passing a final exam, he received his certification in May.

The hands-on program required Jones to work with the National Highway and Safety Administration. Along with learning from Dr. Arthur Croft, director of the SPISD, the classes simulated crashes with crash-test dummies. “It helped us as physicians understand what the human body goes through in the mechanics of a vehicle collision,” Jones said.

The chiropractor said that most people would be interested to learn that the majority of whiplash cases first occur with minor crashes taking place at 5 m.p.h. "So most people who back up and hit a telephone pole and say 'nothing's wrong,' that's when most of the damage starts to happen to the human body,” he said.

Jones had previously been certified in 1996, but said he wanted to do it again to update his credentials. "We're some of the few physicians to know all about the current research, which helps us treat the patient.,” he said.

Jones’s practice, Sunrise Chiropractic & Wellness Office, is on Hewlett Avenue, just south of Sunrise Highway in Merrick.

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