Effective management of acute whiplash injuries requires a pragmatic approach: An RCT with stratified treatments

Funded Activity Summary

Whiplash injuries from a motor vehicle crash continue to incur substantial personal and financial costs to the community and the insurance industry. The current approaches to an acute whiplash injury in Australia and internationally have failed to lessen the rate of how many people develop chronic neck pain. Between 40 and 60% still have pain 6 months after injury. Motor Accident Insurance Commission (Qld) figures indicate that 20% of patients with chronic whiplash account for 60% of the costs. Transition from an acute to a chronic condition must be prevented. A new direction in management in the acute stage is urgently required as once the pain has become chronic, it is difficult to help. This research will conduct a novel randomised controlled trial for acute whiplash. It will test individually prescribed multi-professional management against usual care with the aim to lessen the numbers who go on to develop chronic pain. It will be the first clinical trial that acknowledges from the outset that the whiplash injuries and affects people in different ways. Our previous research with acute whiplash patients has documented the variations in presentation from physical, physiological and psychological perspectives. In this trial, management will be prescribed as directed by measurable pain, muscle and psychological impairments in the individual, rather than regard all patients as the same as in other trials. This trial will offer individualised treatments; medical, physiotherapy and-or psychological using an empirically derived treatment algorithm. Cost-effectiveness of the program will be evaluated against that incurred during usual care. It is predicted that early multi-professional management will be less expensive in the long term than existing approaches. This RCT stands to extend knowledge in the management of whiplash associated disorders (WAD).

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2005

End Date: 01-01-2007

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $382,550.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Clinical Sciences

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

clincial trial | early intervention | health economics | injury rehabilitation and management | multidisciplinary | physiotherapy | post-traumatic stress | psychology | whiplash injuries | whiplash related disorders

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