FROM: DrPetrie@worldnet.att.net 1-29-00 "A Symptomatic Classification of Whiplash Injury and the Implications for Treatment" The above article comes from The Journal of Orthopaedic Medicine, volume 21, number 1, pages 22-25 by Khan et al. of the University Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Bristol, United Kingdom. The study involved 93 patients chronic whiplash injury patients divided into three groups, one with isolated neck pain and restricted motion, a second group who presented with neurological signs or symptoms and restricted cervical motion and a third group who had a full range of motion but expressed "bizarre" symptoms (bizarre=3Dblackouts, visual disturbances, nausea, vomiting, and chest pain). Seventy-two percent of patients from group one (n=3D50) showed benefit from chiropractic care. 12 patient improved to being asymptomatic, 12 patients improved one level on a four level scale and 12 improved two levels on a four level scale. In the second group (n=3D32) 94% responded to chiropractic care with 12 (38%) becoming asymptomatic, 13 or 43% improved by two levels. In the third group (n=3D11) only three persons or 27% showed an improvement under chiropractic care. Based on this study the participants from group one and two showed statistically significant improvement under chiropractic care. "Chiropractic is the only proven treatment in chronic cases (of whiplash)" "Woodward et al. found improvement in chronic symptoms in 26 of 28 patients (93%) following chiropractic treatment." "Our results confirm the efficacy of chiropractic, with 69 of 93 (74%) improving following treatment." "Whilst other studies have suggested that neurological signs (our classification group 2) have a poorer prognosis, this was not the case amongst our patients. Indeed such patients showed the greatest improvement in disability grade."(Emphasis added) "Several recent papers have provided much evidence to support the conclusion that chronic pain from a whiplash injury is organic, and that this organic pain causes the psychological distress often associated with chronic symptoms, rather than being a result of it." "The results from this study provide further evidence that chiropractic is an effective treatment for chronic whiplash symptoms."