Acute cervical strain. Evaluation and short term prognostic factors.
An independent examiner evaluated 179 consecutive private ambulatory litigant patients with soft tissue neck injuries (whiplash) from automobile injuries. Treatment of all patients consisted of neck and shoulder exercises with the exclusion of cervical collars, cervical traction and hospitalization. Forty-three patients had intermittent cervical traction in addition to the exercises. All patients were encouraged to resume their usual work and other activities. The presence of interscapular or upper back pain prognosticated a less favorable result. The average length of treatment was 7.4 weeks. Thirty-seven per cent of the patients with asymptomatic; 16 per cent showed no significant recovery. Older patients recovered as well as younger patients. There was no relation between X-ray findings of flattening or reversal of the cervical lordotic curve and the degree of recovery.
D000328:Adult; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck; D011379:Prognosis; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000628:therapy*; D014143:Traction; D014911:Whiplash Injuries / Q000628:therapy