CERVICAL SPRAIN

Course overview

THE TERM "WHIPLASH" INJURY WAS FIRST COINED BY HAROLD CROWE IN 1928 TO DEFINE ACCELERATION-DECELERATION INJURIES OCCURRING TO THE CERVICAL SPINE OR NECK REGION. LATER MODIFIED TO AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING TERM KNOWN AS WHIPLASH-ASSOCIATED DISORDERS (WAD), THESE CLINICAL ENTITIES HAVE BEEN REFINED TO DESCRIBE ANY COLLECTION OF NECK-RELATED SYMPTOMS FOLLOWING A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT (MVA). THE ELUSIVE DIFFICULTY THAT REMAINS IN DESCRIBING THESE INJURIES IS SECONDARY TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS, BY DEFINITION, NO STRUCTURAL PATHOLOGY IDENTIFIED FOLLOWING A COMPREHENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC WORKUP. THEREFORE, WADS REMAIN A DIAGNOSIS OF EXCLUSION. TREATMENTS INCLUDE REST, ANALGESIA, SOFT BRACES, AND EARLY PHYSICAL THERAPY. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CERVICAL SPRAIN ("WHIPLASH") AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR THOSE WITH THIS CONDITION.