Whiplash Research Center Established

A whiplash injury to the neck is the most common injury from an auto accident. Whiplash injury is usually caused when a vehicle is hit from the rear and a rider’s neck is jolted sharply backwards. Although most people with whiplash injuries recover within a few weeks, 20 percent to 30 percent of them have chronic neck pain that continues for a year or longer.

“The literature suggests that the three-to-six month period after the injury is a critical window,” said Dr. Dennis Turk, professor of anesthesiology. “If people have not returned to relatively normal function by then, they are at risk for long-term disabilities.”

University of Washington researchers have a five-year grant of more than $2 million from the National Institutes of Health to study whiplash injuries from auto accidents. Turk is the principal investigator.

The researchers will attempt to identify factors that predict who is likely to have symptoms more than three months after the initial accident. The study will focus on people who have stiffness and pain from sprains of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, not those who suffer more severe injuries such as a fracture or dislocation of the neck vertebrae. For people who do have continuing problems from muscular injuries, the researchers will evaluate several interventions to alleviate symptoms and prevent long-term disability.

The premise of the interventions is that people who continue to have symptoms in the absence of fractures or dislocations may be restricting their neck movements out of fear of further injury or excessive pain. This restraint leads to greater immobility and more pain. The goal of treatment is to help patients reduce these fears and stimulate them to engage in regular activities.