Known Risk Factors for Late Whiplash
What are the known risk factors for late whiplash (chronic pain/disability)?
Like the set of known risk factors for acute injury that are used to determine the likely severity of injuries from an automobile collision, the known risk factors for late whiplash attempt to determine the likely hood of future pain/disability in patients whom have suffered a previous motor vehicle collision.
Risk Factors
Female
Rear vector impact
Immediate/early onset of symptoms (12 hours after impact)
Initial back pain
Initial decreased cervical spine range of motion
Initial upper back pain Initial upper extremity numbness or weakness or pain
Greater subjective cognitive impairment
Greater number of initial symptoms
Greater severity or frequency of initial symptoms
High initial pain intensity
Use of seat belt and shoulder harness (this means your more likely to have long term neck pain after an accident, however, you are more likely to sustain a worse injury if you do not wear your seat belt….wear your seat belt)
Initial physical findings of limited range of motion
Neck pain on palpation
Disturbed vision
Initial sleep disturbances or fatigue
Initial neurological symptoms, radiating pain into the upper extremities
History of neck pain or headache or shoulder pain
Headache
Initial degenerative changes seen on radiographs
Foraminal stenosis
Loss or reversal of cervical lordosis
Increasing age (middle age and beyond
)Front seat position
Rear seat position
Occupants of vehicle manufactured in the late 1980s to early 1990 involved in a rear impact
Initial generalized sensory hyperalgesia
Head rotation at impact
Non-awareness of impending impact
Post injury memory or concentration problems