The role of physiotherapy in the treatment of whiplash associated disorders: a prospective study.

/Home/Chiropractic Treatment for Other Symptoms/Chiropractic Treatment for Whiplash/Chiropractic Treatment - Whiplash Research

Amirfeyz R, Cook J, Gargan M, Bannister G.

Trauma and Orthopaedics, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Level 5, Queen's Building, Bristol, BS2 8HW, UK. ramirfeyz@yahoo.com

OBJECTIVES: Prospective longitudinal study to evaluate the effect of physiotherapy on whiplash associated disorders (WAD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 141 patients suffering from grades I-III WAD after a road traffic accident were employed. Validated neck Bournemouth Questionnaire was used in order to look at the effect of treatment on the symptoms. RESULTS: The mean age was 40 (+/-14) years. The mean length of the treatment was 6 (+/-3.4) weeks. The mean individual effect size was 0.97 (95% CI 0.8-1.2). A total of 67% of the patients who started their treatment in the first 3 months post-injury improved compared to 48% in those who started physiotherapy after 3 months (P = 0.025). In both groups the applied treatment almost halved the number of patients taken sick leave. CONCLUSION: Physiotherapy is effective in the treatment of whiplash injury, especially in order to get the patients fit to go back to their previous employment.

PMID: 19107495 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]