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Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery
Published in: Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery 7/2009

01-07-2009 | Orthopaedic Outcome Assessment

The role of physiotherapy in the treatment of whiplash associated disorders: a prospective study

Authors: Rouin Amirfeyz, Jonathan Cook, Martin Gargan, Gordon Bannister

Published in: Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery | Issue 7/2009

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Abstract

Objectives

Prospective longitudinal study to evaluate the effect of physiotherapy on whiplash associated disorders (WAD).

Materials and 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.

Conclusion

Physiotherapy is effective in the treatment of whiplash injury, especially in order to get the patients fit to go back to their previous employment.
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Metadata
Title
The role of physiotherapy in the treatment of whiplash associated disorders: a prospective study
Authors
Rouin Amirfeyz
Jonathan Cook
Martin Gargan
Gordon Bannister
Publication date
01-07-2009
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery / Issue 7/2009
Print ISSN: 0936-8051
Electronic ISSN: 1434-3916
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-008-0803-7

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