jospt perspectives for patients
Whiplash Are You at Risk for Ongoing Pain or Disability?
Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy® Downloaded from www.jospt.org at New York University on May 16, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy®. All rights reserved.
J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2015;45(4):251. doi:10.2519/jospt.2015.0501
H
ave you recently sustained an injury and been diagnosed with whiplash or a whiplash-associated disorder (WAD)? If so, you may be wondering what your recovery will be like. The good news is that more than half of people with a whiplash injury recover well and are essentially free of pain or disability 6 months after injury. Unfortunately, this also means that many others have more trouAt Time of Whiplash or Onset of Whiplash-Associated Disorder
ble recovering from their injuries. If health care providers could identify, soon after the initial injury, which patients would probably improve naturally over time and which ones would not, they could better manage the patient’s treatment in the early stages of recovery. A study published in the April 2015 issue of JOSPT provides new insights into this challenge, which may help improve decision making for providers and outcomes for patients. NEW INSIGHTS
Prognosis at 6-Month Follow-up
Low Score
Researchers studied individuals between 18 and 65 years of age who were diagnosed with WAD after a motor vehicle accident. The researchers used 2 questionnaires to gather the information they needed to identify study participants at either low or high risk for ongoing pain and disability after whiplash. They found that patients who were younger than 35 years old, had a low level of disability soon after the injury, and had a low score on the questionnaires had a better chance of achieving a full recovery. Patients who were 35 years or older; had a higher level of disability; and whose questionnaires indicated they had trouble sleeping, were irritable, had difficulty concentrating, were overly alert, and were easily startled soon after the injury had a lesser chance of completely recovering.
PRACTICAL ADVICE Recent research suggests that physical therapists or other health care providers who specialize in WAD may be able to use your age and the results of 2 simple questionnaires as part of a comprehensive examination to suggest the proper approach to treatment for your particular circumstances. You should clearly communicate your medical history to your physical therapist or other health care provider so that they can make the best decisions about your treatment. For example, a prior whiplash injury or previous neck pain may affect your outcomes. For more information on the treatment of neck pain and whiplash, contact your physical therapist specializing in musculoskeletal disorders.
High Score
LEVEL OF RISK FOR ONGOING PAIN OR DISABILITY AFTER WHIPLASH. When you have a whiplash injury, your age and the information you give physical therapists or other health care providers on 2 questionnaires can help determine whether you will still have pain or disability 6 months later. Younger people with a low level of disability soon after a whiplash are more likely to recover fully. Older people with a higher level of disability after they are injured may continue to have pain at 6 months. This Perspectives article was written by a team of JOSPT’s editorial board and staff. Deydre S. Teyhen, PT, PhD, Editor, and Jeanne Robertson, Illustrator.
For this and more topics, visit JOSPT Perspectives for Patients online at www.jospt.org. This JOSPT Perspectives for Patients is based on an article by Ritchie C et al titled “External Validation of a Clinical Prediction Rule to Predict Full Recovery and Ongoing Moderate/Severe Disability Following Acute Whiplash Injury” (J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2015;45(4):242-250. doi:10.2519/jospt.2015.5642).
JOSPT PERSPECTIVES FOR PATIENTS is a public service of the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. The information and recommendations contained here are a summary of the referenced research article and are not a substitute for seeking proper health care to diagnose and treat this condition. For more information on the management of this condition, contact your physical therapist or other health care provider specializing in musculoskeletal disorders. JOSPT Perspectives for Patients may be photocopied noncommercially by physical therapists and other health care providers to share with patients. The official journal of the Orthopaedic Section and the Sports Physical Therapy Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), JOSPT strives to offer high-quality research, immediately applicable clinical material, and useful supplemental information on musculoskeletal and sports-related health, injury, and rehabilitation. Copyright ©2015 Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy ® journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy | volume 45 | number 4 | april 2015 |
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Whiplash Are You at Risk for Ongoing Pain or Disability?
Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy® Downloaded from www.jospt.org at New York University on May 16, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy®. All rights reserved.
J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2015;45(4):251. doi:10.2519/jospt.2015.0501
H
ave you recently sustained an injury and been diagnosed with whiplash or a whiplash-associated disorder (WAD)? If so, you may be wondering what your recovery will be like. The good news is that more than half of people with a whiplash injury recover well and are essentially free of pain or disability 6 months after injury. Unfortunately, this also means that many others have more trouAt Time of Whiplash or Onset of Whiplash-Associated Disorder
ble recovering from their injuries. If health care providers could identify, soon after the initial injury, which patients would probably improve naturally over time and which ones would not, they could better manage the patient’s treatment in the early stages of recovery. A study published in the April 2015 issue of JOSPT provides new insights into this challenge, which may help improve decision making for providers and outcomes for patients. NEW INSIGHTS
Prognosis at 6-Month Follow-up
Low Score
Researchers studied individuals between 18 and 65 years of age who were diagnosed with WAD after a motor vehicle accident. The researchers used 2 questionnaires to gather the information they needed to identify study participants at either low or high risk for ongoing pain and disability after whiplash. They found that patients who were younger than 35 years old, had a low level of disability soon after the injury, and had a low score on the questionnaires had a better chance of achieving a full recovery. Patients who were 35 years or older; had a higher level of disability; and whose questionnaires indicated they had trouble sleeping, were irritable, had difficulty concentrating, were overly alert, and were easily startled soon after the injury had a lesser chance of completely recovering.
PRACTICAL ADVICE Recent research suggests that physical therapists or other health care providers who specialize in WAD may be able to use your age and the results of 2 simple questionnaires as part of a comprehensive examination to suggest the proper approach to treatment for your particular circumstances. You should clearly communicate your medical history to your physical therapist or other health care provider so that they can make the best decisions about your treatment. For example, a prior whiplash injury or previous neck pain may affect your outcomes. For more information on the treatment of neck pain and whiplash, contact your physical therapist specializing in musculoskeletal disorders.
High Score
LEVEL OF RISK FOR ONGOING PAIN OR DISABILITY AFTER WHIPLASH. When you have a whiplash injury, your age and the information you give physical therapists or other health care providers on 2 questionnaires can help determine whether you will still have pain or disability 6 months later. Younger people with a low level of disability soon after a whiplash are more likely to recover fully. Older people with a higher level of disability after they are injured may continue to have pain at 6 months. This Perspectives article was written by a team of JOSPT’s editorial board and staff. Deydre S. Teyhen, PT, PhD, Editor, and Jeanne Robertson, Illustrator.
For this and more topics, visit JOSPT Perspectives for Patients online at www.jospt.org. This JOSPT Perspectives for Patients is based on an article by Ritchie C et al titled “External Validation of a Clinical Prediction Rule to Predict Full Recovery and Ongoing Moderate/Severe Disability Following Acute Whiplash Injury” (J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2015;45(4):242-250. doi:10.2519/jospt.2015.5642).
JOSPT PERSPECTIVES FOR PATIENTS is a public service of the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. The information and recommendations contained here are a summary of the referenced research article and are not a substitute for seeking proper health care to diagnose and treat this condition. For more information on the management of this condition, contact your physical therapist or other health care provider specializing in musculoskeletal disorders. JOSPT Perspectives for Patients may be photocopied noncommercially by physical therapists and other health care providers to share with patients. The official journal of the Orthopaedic Section and the Sports Physical Therapy Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), JOSPT strives to offer high-quality research, immediately applicable clinical material, and useful supplemental information on musculoskeletal and sports-related health, injury, and rehabilitation. Copyright ©2015 Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy ® journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy | volume 45 | number 4 | april 2015 |
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3/18/2015 4:45:24 PM
