Typically low severity neck injuries (whiplash injuries) have been associated with front and rear impacts. These injuries are classified as low severity injuries and are given the lowest rating on the Abbreviated Injury Scale of (AIS) 1. In spite of its low severity rating, these injuries can be disabling and life altering. More recently, the literature has highlighted the need to investigate l...

Background: A substantial proportion of patients with whiplash injuries develop chronic symptoms. However, the best treatment of acute injuries to prevent long-term problems is uncertain. A stepped care treatment pathway has been proposed, in which patients are given advice and education at their initial visit to the emergency department (ED), followed by review at three weeks and physiotherapy...

Cervical acceleration/deceleration or whiplash injuries are a common cause of cervical spine trauma. Cervical acceleration/deceleration can result in vertebral fractures, subluxations, and ligamentous and other soft tissue injuries. Severe injuries are often evidenced by increased prevertebral swelling on lateral X-ray. Assessment of the prevertebral space on lateral cervical spine films is an ...

Extension-distraction injuries caused by hyperextension of the spine typically occur in the cervical region, as seen in “whiplash” injuries. This type of injury is rare in the thoracolumbar spine, comprising less than 3% of fractures in this region . Denis and Burkus described it as “lumberjack paraplegia” as most patients with this injury were struck in the back by a falling tree . Rare instan...

In the present study, we compared magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of soft tissue structures in the upper cervical spine between whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) patients and population-based control persons, and examined whether MRI-verified abnormalities in WAD patients were related to accident-related factors hypothesized to be of importance for severity of injury. A total of 92 w...

STUDY DESIGN A bench-top trauma sled was used to apply four intensities of whiplash trauma to human cadaveric cervical spine specimens and to measure resulting intervertebral rotations using high-speed cinematography. OBJECTIVES To determine the cervical spine levels most prone to injury from whiplash trauma and to hypothesize a mechanism for such injury. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Whiplash...

In this study, we investigated for the first time whether flotation-REST might be used for treating chronic whiplash-associated disorders (WAD). Six women and one man, all diagnosed by licensed physicians as having chronic whiplash-associated disorder, participated. Two of the participants were beginners with regard to flotation-REST (2 or 3 treatments), and five of them had experienced between...

OBJECTIVE To describe how vestibular rehabilitation influences pain and range of motion among patients with whiplash-associated disorder and dizziness, and to describe whether pain or range of motion correlated with balance performance or self-perceived dizziness handicap. SUBJECTS A total of 29 patients, 20 women and 9 men, age range 22-76 years. METHODS Patients with whiplash-associated d...