Acute whiplash associated disorders (WAD)

BACKGROUND: Whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) is the term given for the collection of symptoms affecting the neck that are triggered by an accident with an acceleration–deceleration mechanism such as a motor vehicle accident. The incidence of whiplash injury varies greatly between different parts of the world with significant monetary burden on the individual as well as the wider community. OBJECTIVE: Which treatments are best for reducing pain and disability experience in acute WADs? LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Clinical practice guidelines, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, randomized controlled trials. SEARCH SOURCES: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Medline, EMBASE, AUST health, AMED. OUTCOMES: From the patient perspective the main outcomes considered are pain and disability. CONSUMER SUMMARY: Whiplash-associated disorders include a range of symptoms related to the neck and head. They commonly occur after motor vehicle accidents or diving mishaps. There is good evidence to suggest that active exercise, acting as usual and combination therapy are the most effective treatment choices in an acute presentation.