Whiplash (cont.)
What is the treatment for whiplash?
Treatment of whiplash depends on the wide variety of symptoms present.
Unfortunately, most treatments of whiplash have not been well tested to
determine their effectiveness.
The most important issue in the management of whiplash is optimal education
of the patient about their injury. This includes information on the cause,
potential treatments, and likely outcomes. Patients should understand that this
is a real injury, but that nearly all patients have the ability to fully
recover. Patients that do not receive this information are much more likely to
develop the more chronic "whiplash associated disorder."
Often the initial treatment for whiplash has been a soft cervical collar. The
goal of the collar is to reduce the range of motion of the neck and to prevent
any additional injuries. More recent studies have shown that more prolonged
immobilization actually slows the healing process.
Patients involved in early
range of motion exercises have been shown to have a more reliable and rapid
improvement in their symptoms. This treatment typically involves rotational
exercises performed 10 times per hour as soon as symptoms allow within the first
four days of the accident.
It seems that excessive rest and immobilization have been shown to have
greater chances of chronic symptoms. This is explained by loss of range of
motion leading to increased pain and stiffness. Immobilization also causes
muscle atrophy (muscle wasting) and decreased blood flow and healing of damaged
muscles.
Physical therapy can be useful in helping to wean a patient from a cervical
collar as well as to help strengthen muscles and reduce painful motions.
Occupational therapy can be used to help return the patient to the work
environment.
If the patient begins to develop psychological symptoms including anger,
anxiety or depression following an injury, prompt treatment of the emotional
condition is recommended. This can help the patient better understand the good
chances for successful recovery and reduce the chances of chronic symptoms.
Next: What can be done to prevent whiplash? »
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