Extracervical Symptoms After Whiplash Trauma

Abstract

Thirty-eight patients with late whiplash syndrome were investigated with regard to symptoms which conform with the criteria for other specific diagnoses. All had pain and tender points in the neck and 37 (97.4%) suffered from headache. Seven patients (18.4%) had occipital neuralgia in accordance with the IHS criteria and 16 (42.1%) if the IASP criteria were used. Four patients (10.5%) had oromandibular dysfunction, 20 (52.6%) had periarticular shoulder disorder, and 12 (31.6%) had thoracic outlet syndrome. Five (13.2%) had chronic mechanical low back pain and two (5.3%) segmental instability of the lumbar spine. Four (10.5%) had symptoms concurring with the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. It is concluded that many of the symptoms of patients that suffer from late whiplash syndrome conform with the criteria of other specific diagnoses.