www.Lommell.com

Inside Headaches from Whiplash Injuries
[ Up ] [ Cervical Whiplash Injuries ] [ Lumbar Whiplash Injuries ] [ Wrist Whiplash Injuries ] [ Headaches Following Whiplash ] [ MTBI ] [ Factors Delaying Recovery ] [ Whiplash Flare-ups ] [ Risk Factors for Injury ] [ Side Impact Collisions ] [ Common Prescriptions ]

Factors Complicating or Delaying Recovery

There are several factors that may compli­cate or slow the recovery time following a motor vehicle collision injury. Complicating factors may include any of the following:

·            Delay in starting treatment

·            Disc protrusions of clinical and non-resolving significance

·            Cervical fracture (excluding spinous process) or dislocation

·            Head injury associated with the neck in­jury

·            Presence of either headache or low back pain. These patients have been found to require more treatment than average.116

·            Early upper and lower extremity radicu­lar symptoms (usually associated with prolonged therapy)

·            Long vacations or unusual work sched­ules that excessively interrupt the normal treatment schedule

·            Reinjury or new injury of significant magnitude. New car crash injuries that occur within the first 2 to 3 weeks can cre­ate a challenge, especially if the first injury resulted in any early radicular symptoms typical for disc or ligamentous injury.

·            Complication by other nonrelated bio­mechanical factors, such as pregnancy, knee surgery, or use of crutches, which results in upper body and neck compen­sation and causes aggravation of symp­toms

·            Intractable pain that does not respond to any therapy. Multispecialty evaluation must be strongly considered.

·            Earlier treatment involving rest as op­posed to early mobilization. Patients so advised will require an additional month of treatment.’14 A sedentary lifestyle slows recovery.

·            Nutritional and endocrine disorders, such as anemia, malnutrition, diabetes, hypothyroidism, nicotine addiction, and alcoholism

·            Significant pre-existing degenerative joint disease processes, genetic fusion, re­cent major illnesses, or congenital spinal or soft tissue anomalies such as Klippel­Feil syndrome