Whiplash - mechanisms and management
Whiplash is a common neck injury, with many individuals experiencing long term pain and disability. In this session, we explore the cause and approach to management of whiplash related chronic headaches, which occur in up to 60% of presentations. This presentation is followed by a review of motor vehicle crash parameters associated with whiplash injury.
This session is supported by CTP
Insurance Regulator
Dr Dean Watson
Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist
Whiplash-associated headache: When imaging Is normal but symptoms persist
Whiplash-associated headache (WAH) is a prevalent and frequently mismanaged consequence of upper cervical injury. It is often dismissed when imaging results are normal, despite objective physiological evidence indicating
neurological changes that imaging may not detect. This presentation explores the mechanisms underlying WAH, the reasons for its presentation with migraine and tension-type headache features, and the clinical findings that may be
identified through examination but not through imaging.
Learning objectives:
By participating in this session, delegates can expect to:
- Understand the mechanisms that link whiplash injury to persistent headache, and explain why WAH frequently presents with clinical features similar to those of migraine and tension-type headache, highlighting implications for diagnosis and referral.
- Identify objective evidence of neurological change in WAH, including physiological measures independent of patient self-report, to support a physical basis for symptoms in both clinical and medicolegal contexts.
- Apply an evidence-based rationale to identify and manage the cervical contribution to WAH, and determine when cervical assessment and targeted treatment are indicated.
Dr Andrew McIntosh
Researcher and Consultant
Crash and biomechanical factors in whiplash associated disorders.
The presentation will describe the associations between crash characteristics, vehicle occupant biomechanics and whiplash associated disorders.
Learning objectives:
By participating in this session, delegates can expect to:
- Recognise and compare vehicle crash characteristics, such as direction and severity (change in velocity).
- Describe how crash characteristics and vehicle occupant safety systems, such as head restraints and seatbelts, dictate the biomechanical forces acting on the occupant.
- Identify associations between crash characteristics, vehicle occupant biomechanics and the incidence of whiplash associated disorders.
