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Acute Neck Whiplash: Who Ya Gonna Call?

What do general practitioners, family physicians, and chiropractors think about the treatment of whiplash injury? That's what this study is all about. Two doctors at the University of Alberta in Canada talked to 362 doctors and 88 chiropractors. They asked each of these doctors questions about treating adults with acute whiplash injury.

The authors report the following beliefs:

  • The longer doctors of any kind were in practice, the less likely they were to think treatment for acute whiplash makes any difference.
  • Chiropractors are more likely than medical doctors to order an X-ray. They say their patients expect it.
  • More chiropractors think X-ray findings of disc problems are important.
  • Medical doctors are more likely to think there's nothing wrong with patients who have chronic whiplash.
  • Medical doctors are more likely to think anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants make a difference.
  • Chiropractors are more likely to see other forms of treatment, such as massage, acupuncture, and traction, as helpful.
  • None of the chiropractors would advise bed rest until the pain is gone. About one percent of the doctors thought bed rest was advisable for complete pain relief.

    Doctors and chiropractors did agree on several other points. Most believed that encouraging activity, even with pain, is important during recovery from whiplash. They agreed that guidelines for managing these patients would be helpful. And they agreed that exercise therapy is helpful in acute whiplash.

    • Reference: 

    Robert Ferrari, MD, FRCPC, FACP, and Anthony Science Russell, MD, FRCPC. Survey of General Practitioner, Family Physician, and Chiropractor's Beliefs Regarding the Management of Acute Whiplash Patients. In Spine. October 1, 2004. Vol. 29. No. 19. Pp. 2173-2177.

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