Mary Franz - Feb 25th, 2011
A whiplash injury occurs whenever the neck is forced beyond its normal range of motion, and can lead to neck and shoulder pain, headaches and reduced range of motion. A whiplash injury can leave the patient with painful and troublesome symptoms for months following the injury, especially if treatment is not sought soon enough. Chiropractic care for whiplash can help relieve pain and mobility issues, but also can help a person with whiplash recover the total range of activities that can be affected by injury, including tasks as simple as driving.
A recent review examined potential driving issues in 33 patients with whiplash associated disorders (WAD). The tools used in the study included the neck disability index, visual analog scale for neck pain at rest and while driving, exposure section of the Driving Habit Questionnaire, perceived current driving ability, semi-structured interview about presenting symptoms, troublesome driving tasks, and perceived changes in driving behavior after a whiplash injury.
A total of 73% of the subjects reported decreased driving ability since the injury. These subjects also noted more pain and less concentration than those patients who reported their driving ability as returned to pre-injury status. Participants reported that checking blind spots, prolonged driving and reverse driving or parking were the most troublesome driving tasks. Most WAD subjects mentioned needing to rotate their trunks more than they used to and changing the way they gripped the steering wheel. They were more nervous and cautious while driving.
Numerous studies have shown that chiropractic care can help mitigate the long-term consequences for whiplash patients. The sooner chiropractic care is sought following a whiplash injury, the better the outcome.
Takasaki H., Johnston V., Treleaven J., Pereira M., Jull G.: Driving with a chronic whiplash-associated disorder: a review of patients' perspectives. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2011 Jan;92(1):106-10
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