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Up to half of individuals who’ve experienced a whiplash type
of injury describe facing an incomplete recovery of their symptoms and approximately
one third of individuals continue to feel moderately to severely impaired for
two to three years after the initial injury. Because a significant amount of
people reported the development of chronic complications, ongoing studies are
being focused on identifying the factors for people at risk of persistent
symptoms.
Several studies suggest that individuals with previous
symptoms of neck pain were more likely to develop chronic symptoms after
suffering a whiplash injury. But the true question was whether people who
received medical attention for any neck or back injury or condition before
being involved in an automobile accident reflected on their constant symptoms
as compared to people who never received medical attention for another
complication and only then did they seek treatment after the accident.
Researchers conducted a study where the medical records of 1.2 million people were analyzed,
from those, 1,443 individuals were identified to have whiplash. The individuals
who suffered from whiplash were tracked for three years after the automobile
accident injury, while researchers also examined their medical data three years
prior to the injury. Throughout the six years, the people with whiplash were
recorded to be more than twice as likely to seek constant medical attention
from their symptoms. However, people with higher rates of medical care before
the injury were recorded to be more likely to report more sick days and greater
rates of medical attention as compared to individuals with lower rates of
medical care before the injury. Additionally, the individuals with more frequent medical
care visits before the whiplash injury had the greatest increase in the
diagnosis of musculoskeletal conditions, headache, dizziness, and tinnitus.
Therefore, according to the study, people who had a previous
neck injury or condition prior to experiencing the whiplash-type injury were at
a higher risk of developing chronic symptoms as compared to those whom didn’t
present prior injuries or conditions. Regardless of the findings, seeking and
continuing medical attention for your injuries is crucial towards alleviating
any impairing symptoms, ultimately helping the individual reach a full recovery
without developing chronic problems.
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
