Results of a multimodal treatment program for patients with chronic symptoms after a whiplash injury of the neck.

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN:

A descriptive case series pre- and post-treatment design, including a 6-month follow-up.

OBJECTIVES:

The objective of this study was to document the improvements of patients with chronic symptoms after a "whiplash" injury of the neck, who attended a 4-week multimodal treatment program at the Rug AdviesCentra Nederland.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA:

To the authors' knowledge, no studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of multidisciplinary treatment of chronic symptoms after whiplash injury.

METHODS:

Twenty-six patients who experienced Quebec type 1 or 2 lesions of the neck (whiplash) with persisting symptoms of longer than 6 months' duration participated in the study. The measures included were pain intensity (according to the visual analog scale), number of painful sites (determined by pain drawing), self-reported disability Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale; and symptoms of somatic and psychological distress and cognitive symptoms (according to selected Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 scales). Furthermore, objective outcome criteria were used regarding return to work, medication, and medical and paramedical treatment. Statistical and clinical significance of treatment results were both assessed.

RESULTS:

The patients' symptoms improved significantly on nearly all self-report measures. Their scores for objective outcome criteria reported during the 6-month follow-up evaluation were: complete return to work (65%); complete or partial return to work (92%); no use of analgesics in the past 6 months (58%); and no medical or paramedical treatments in the past 6 months (81%).

CONCLUSION:

These early results indicate that a multimodal treatment program has the potential to be an effective treatment for patients with chronic symptoms after a whiplash injury of the neck--a group of patients who have in the past been considered intractable or, at the very least, puzzling.

• Authors: A A Vendrig, P F van Akkerveeken, K R McWhorter
• Journal: Spine (Spine (Phila Pa 1976)) Vol. 25 Issue 2 Pg. 238-44 (Jan 15 2000) ISSN: 0362-2436 [Print] United States
• PMID: 10685489 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Activities of Daily Living
• Adult
• Analysis of Variance
• Combined Modality Therapy
• Depression (therapy)
• Fatigue (therapy)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neck Injuries (therapy)
• Pain Measurement
• Personality Tests
• Physical Therapy Modalities
• Program Evaluation
• Treatment Outcome
• Whiplash Injuries (therapy)