title: Prospective PC-interactive pressure algesimetry of post-traumatic neck pain after whiplash injury.
abstract: Cervical pain is a prominent symptom in both acute whiplash injury and late whiplash syndrome. However, no systematic analysis of post-traumatic pain development covering several weeks has yet been performed in whiplash patients. It was the aim of the present study to analyse the duration and course of post-traumatic muscle pain due to whiplash injury in a prospective follow-up examination with short investigation intervals. A recovery of initially increased muscle pain after whiplash injury within 1 month was hypothesized. Pressure pain of the splenius and trapezius muscles was recorded using PC-interactive pressure algesimetry. Whiplash patients were investigated during the acute injury stage and after 3, 4, and 6 weeks and compared with matched controls. We found significantly increased pressure pain of the splenius and trapezius muscles in the acute stage of whiplash injury. After 4 weeks patients' scores of pain parameters were comparable to those of healthy control subjects. Within the patient group the first changes of pressure pain were observed within 3 (splenius) and 4 weeks (trapezius). For most patients the recovery dynamics lasted 4-6 weeks. A minority of patients did not show any improvement after 6 weeks. The present study shows that the dynamics of pressure pain due to whiplash injury can be quantified by means of PC-interactive pressure algesimetry. Our results confirm the clinical experience that the acute post-traumatic cervical syndrome normally subsides within weeks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Essen, Essen, Germany. katharina.nebel@uni-essen.de
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nebel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stude
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lüdecke
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wiese
authors.forename: H-C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Diener
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keidel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D011312:Pressure; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014911:Whiplash Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*