People's expectations influence recovery from whiplash

New research has suggested that a patient's expectations that they will recover from the back and neck pain associated with whiplash influence whether they do actually get better.

A team from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm in Sweden published their findings in the online journal PLoS Medicine.

The researchers used data from just over 1,000 adult claimants from two insurance companies in Sweden. As well as gathering details about their accident, health history, pain and symptoms since the crash, they also asked how likely they thought they were to recover from their injuries.

Around one quarter of the patients said they believed they would make a full recovery from the back and neck pain associated with the whiplash. It was discovered that people who said they were less likely to make a full recovery were most likely to have a high disability six months after the questionnaire.

As a result, Dr Lena Holm and the rest of the team said healthcare professionals should work hard to convince whiplash victims they are likely to enjoy a full recovery. They also called for more research in to the findings.

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