Manual Therapy to Treat Acute Whiplash Injury

Short-Term Effects of a Manual Therapy Protocol

The purpose of this study is to determine the short-term effects of a manual therapy protocol on pain, disability and cervical range of motion in individuals with acute whiplash injury.

Design: Randomized clinical trial. Objectives: to determine the short-term effects of a a manual therapy protocol on pain, disability and cervical range of motion in individuals with acute whiplash injury.

Methods and measures: sixty patients will be randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: the experimental group received a manual therapy protocol and the placebo group received two manual therapy techniques. Neck pain, disability and cervical range of motion data will be collected at baseline and 24-hr after the last manual therapy application. Mixed-model analyses of variance will be used to examine the effects of the treatment on each outcome variable.

Inclusion Criteria:

• To met Quebec Task Force Classification of WAD II- neck pain symptoms and musculoskeletal signs.
• No evidence of conduction loss on clinical neurological examination.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Concussion during the motor vehicle accident.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Head or upper quadrant injury during the accident.
• Sought treatment prior to their accident for neck pain.
• A previous history of whiplash
• Neck pain
• Headaches
• Psychiatric or psychologic condition
• Neurologic or circulatory disorders