Whiplash claim news
15/08/2007

Canadian study reveals insight into whiplash treatment

Research from Canada has revealed that certain combinations of whiplash treatment could be detrimental to a patient's recovery and, as a result, increase the number of whiplash claims made.

Making several trips to the chiropractor when combined with visits to a GP is being linked with an extended recovery time, experts have found.

According to the medical journal Arthritis Care and Research, Canadian researchers have looked at a group of 1,700 patients with whiplash injuries and found that those with the slowest recovery time had visited a GP at least once and made more than six visits to their chiropractor.

Their average recovery time was 639 days, 36% slower that those who made just one or two visits to their doctor.

In addition, the recovery rate of patients who saw a chiropractor between one and six times as well as a GP was 25% slower than those who made one or two visits to their GP.

Authors of this groundbreaking research have said, "Combining chiropractic and general practitioner care appears to confer a benefit.

"Reliance on frequent clinical caremay have a negative effect on recovery by reinforcing patients' beliefs that whiplash injuries often lead to disability."

As one of the most commonly experienced personal injuries worldwide, most commonly resulting from car accidents, whiplash research is continuously carried out in Canada, the US, Australia and the UK.

This could have great bearing on the future of whiplash treatment methods adopted by the health service and the amount of whiplash claims that are made by patients as well as the amount of whiplash compensation paid out.