Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2005; 10: 27
In Germany about 18–25% of patients with whiplash injury also develop chronic symptoms, i.e. the late whiplash syndrome (LWS), which obviously cannot be treated adequately by conventional therapies. This study aimed to investigate whether or not osteopathic intervention improves the general life quality of patients suffering from late whiplash syndrome.
The study was a controlled clinical intervention study in waiting list design conducted over 12 weeks. Forty-two volunteers suffering from late whiplash syndrome due to car rear-end collisions underwent examination and osteopathic treatment. Six weeks after the initial interviews there was a 6-week intervention period, including five osteopathic treatments at 1-week intervals. It was assessed how target parameters such as general and neck pain-related quality of life, pain and stress felt subjectively and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had changed by osteopathic intervention as compared to the preceding 6-weeks’ waiting period.
Neck pain-related quality of life was improved by 41% on average and also general quality of life regarding physical complaints by 13%. With respect to the general quality of life regarding psychic symptoms, differential effects were seen in patients with and without diagnosed PTSD. With an improvement of 22% PTSD-diagnosed patients benefited somewhat more from treatment in this respect.
As osteopathic treatment has a positive effect on both physical and psychic symptoms of late whiplash syndrome it is recommendable as an effective acute and long-term treatment in patients suffering from late whiplash syndrome.
