Factors affecting employment after whiplash injury

Gozzard, C.; Bannister, G.C.; Langkamer, G.; Khan, Sufia; Gargan, Martin; Foy, Capri G.

doi:10.1302/0301-620x.83b4.11228

Cited by 29 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…But they found no correlation between personality traits and the course of recovery from whiplash, in agreement with a recent study by Borchgrevink et al [4]. Contrary to this, previous studies [7,13,15,17,33] have suggested whiplash injuries to be psychogenic in origin and create or contribute to somatic symptoms after whiplash injury.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Temperament and character: prognostic factors in whiplash patients?

et al. 2004

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Temperament and character: prognostic factors in whiplash patients?

et al. 2004

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“…It has been estimated that 14-42% of whiplash trauma progresses to a chronic WAD and approximately 10% of the patients report constant severe pain [9]. In a study of 586 patients diagnosed with whiplash injury, 7% did not return to work [79]. Whiplash injuries are now one of the most common disabling disorders following traffic accidents in several western countries as shown by insurance statistics [242,263] …”

Section: Epidemiology Health Economics and Sociomedical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whiplash injuries and associated disorders: new insights into an old problem

Rydevik¹,

Szpalski²,

Aebi³

et al. 2008

Eur Spine J

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SummaryThe Medical Task Force of the Swedish Society of Medicine and the Whiplash Commission has come to the following main conclusions:The term ''whiplash'' is so generally accepted that it should continue to be used, but the term ''whiplash trauma'' should only be used to refer to indirect cervical spine trauma. By deleting WAD grades 0 and IV from the classification system introduced in 1995 by the Quebec Task Force (QTF), the diagnosis of whiplash injury will be more exact and more realistically defined, which will reduce the risk of misunderstanding.The reported incidence of whiplash injuries in Sweden varies depending on the particular investigation cited, and ranges between 1.0 and 3.2/1000 per year. Whiplash injuries represent approximately 1/3 of all claims submitted after traffic injuries to insurance companies in Sweden, and give rise to a medical disability rate of 10% or more. Various studies of how the possibility of an insurance claim influences the course of a whiplash injury have produced quite different results, but generally there is no evidence of significant differences in outcome between those who have and have not sought claim.Ligament injuries can rarely be demonstrated acutely after whiplash trauma, and radiologically verified instability later in the course of the injury is also rare. Experimental studies have shown that whiplash trauma can lead to loads on discs and facet joints that might result in injury of these structures, but there is no scientific evidence to verify such injuries in patients with whiplash injury. Certain studies indicate that a dysfunction in the nervous system may exist in a small proportion of patients with whiplash injury.A series of physiological changes occurs in both the peripheral and the central nervous systems after whiplash injury, comprising peripheral as well as central sensitisation. There is no scientific evidence that such physiological changes are specific to the pain associated with whiplash injury; similar changes have been shown to occur in association with various other pain conditions, acute as well as long-term.It is likely that any previous mental ill-health and the patient's current mental state are both important for the clinical development and course of whiplash injury. To minimise the risk of long-term problems among people with acute whiplash injury, concurrently occurring acute stress disorder (ASD) and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) should be diagnosed and treated. It is also important to diagnose and adequately treat possible sleep disorder, depression, or anxiety among people with whiplash injury.Neck problems in terms of pain and stiffness, either with or without objective clinical findings such as decreased range of motion and tenderness at palpation (WAD grades I and II), are most common. Symptoms usually appear within the first day and up to a few days after whiplash trauma. Headache commonly occurs, along with pain in the shoulders and the thoracic spine. Neurological symptoms are present in approximately 20% of pat...

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“…3 Another study found an association between occupation and time off work; it was inferred that physical injury was not of exclusive importance as sedentary workers do not take the least time off following a whiplash injury and heavy manual workers do not take the most. 5 More recently, Gozzard et al 6 found a positive correlation between both increasing severity of injury and time off work and also heaviness of manual work and increasing time off. They found no association between social class and time-off, but did find that those who were self-employed took less time off work.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They found no association between social class and time-off, but did find that those who were self-employed took less time off work. 6 We have taken an original look at the relationship between a patient's occupation and social class with the time taken off work following a whiplash injury.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship Between Occupation, Social Class and Time taken off Work Following a Whiplash Injury

Hagan

Naqui

Lovell

2007

annals

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INTRODUCTION Little has been published about occupational and social factors in relation to time off work following a whiplash injury.PATIENTS AND METHODS We analysed 800 medicolegal case sheets from a consultant orthopaedic surgeon's practice. RESULTS Of those injured, 596 were working and 204 were unemployed or retired. The working group was further analysed. Severity of injury was estimated by analysing velocity of injury combined with vehicular damage. Mean time off work for a minor injury was 10.6 days, moderate 12.1 days, severe 13.8, and very severe 24.9 ( P < 0.05). Looking at work categories as previously described in the literature, 20.5 days were taken off by heavy manual workers, light manual 15.7, driving 13.9, secretarial 9.2 and sedentary 12.8 ( P < 0.05). Analysing as per social class showed that professionals required 7.0 days, intermediate 14.7 days, skilled non-manual 16.1 days, skilled manual 34.2 days, semi-skilled manual 33.2 days, and unskilled manual 11.5 days ( P < 0.05). Nearly a third (31.2%) required no time off work, after 4 days off, 52.1% had returned to work and 90.1% were back at work after 30 days. Time off lasting more than 12 weeks occurred in 29 cases (4.9%).CONCLUSIONS Job style, severity of injury and social class have a bearing on time taken off work after road traffic accidents causing whiplash injury.

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Factors affecting employment after whiplash injury

Cited by 29 publications

References 16 publications

Temperament and character: prognostic factors in whiplash patients?

Temperament and character: prognostic factors in whiplash patients?

Whiplash injuries and associated disorders: new insights into an old problem

Relationship Between Occupation, Social Class and Time taken off Work Following a Whiplash Injury

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