Comparison of the Effect of Neck Collar, Act-as-Usual, and Active Mobilisation Early After a Whiplash Injury

The Back Research Center, Denmark

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 3

Conditions

Whiplash Injury

Treatments

Behavioral: neck collar; advice to act-as-usual; active mobilisation

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT00206271

20000268

Details and patient eligibility

About

Background: Long-lasting pain and disability, known as chronic whiplash-associated disorder (WAD), may develop after forced flexion-extension trauma to the cervical spine. Mechanisms behind WAD are virtually unknown, as are the possible effects of early intervention. This trial was undertaken to compare the effect of three early intervention strategies for the prevention of developing chronic WAD following acute whiplash injury.

Methods: 458 participants were randomised to one of 1) stiff neck collar, 2) advice to act-as-usual, or 3) an active mobilisation regime. Participants were followed for one year and treatment effects were compared in terms of lasting neck pain, headache, disability and sick-leave.

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 70 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Been exposed to rear-end or frontal car collision
Experienced symptoms within 72 hours
18 - 70 years

Exclusion criteria

Could not be enrolled within 10 days of the collision
Fractures or dislocations of the cervical spine
Amnesia for the accident
Unconsciousness in relation to the accident
Injuries other than the whiplash injury
Average neck pain during the preceding 6 months exceeding 2 on a box scale 0-10, where 0= no pain and 10= worst possible pain
Significant pre-existing somatic or psychiatric disease
Alcohol or drug abuse
Does not read or understand Danish.