1. Pain thresholds and tenderness in neck and head following acute whiplash injury: a prospective study.
- Author
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Kasch, H, Stengaard-Pedersen, K, Arendt-Nielsen, L, and Staehelin Jensen, T
- Subjects
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WHIPLASH injuries , *NECK pain , *HEADACHE , *ANKLE injuries , *COMPARATIVE studies , *LONGITUDINAL method , *RESEARCH methodology , *MEDICAL cooperation , *REFERENCE values , *RESEARCH , *EVALUATION research , *ACUTE diseases , *PAIN threshold - Abstract
Unlabelled: OBJECTIVE OF THE INVESTIGATION: In a 6-month prospective study of 141 consecutive acute whiplash-injured participants, and 40 acute, ankle-injured controls, pain and tenderness in the neck/head, and at a distant control site, were measured.Basic Procedures: Muscle palpation and pressure algometry in five head/neck muscle-pairs were performed after 1 week and 1, 3 and 6 months after injury. Algometry was performed at a distant control site.Main Findings: Whiplash-injured patients had lowered pressure-pain-detection thresholds and higher palpation-score initially in the neck/head, but the groups were similar after 6 months, and the control site was not sensitized.Principal Conclusion: Focal, but not generalized, sensitization to musculoskeletal structure is present until 3 months, but not 6 months, after whiplash injury, and probably does not play a major role in the development of late whiplash syndrome. Pressure algometry and palpation are useful clinical tools in the evaluation of neck and jaw pain in acute whiplash injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2001
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