The role of physiotherapy in the treatment of whiplash associated disorders: a prospective study.
OBJECTIVE
Prospective longitudinal study to evaluate the effect of physiotherapy on whiplash associated disorders (WAD).


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.


CONCLUSIONS
Physiotherapy is effective in the treatment of whiplash injury, especially in order to get the patients fit to go back to their previous employment.
Amirfeyz
Rouin
R
Trauma and Orthopaedics, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Level 5, Queen's Building, Bristol, BS2 8HW, UK. ramirfeyz@yahoo.com
Cook
Jonathan
J
Gargan
Martin
M
Bannister
Gordon
G
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014911:Whiplash Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*