Spine Health & Spinal Hygiene

Post traumatic stress disorder can raise your risk of suffering from severe symptoms after whiplash, according to new research.

A new study found that 25.7% of whiplash patients suffered from post traumatic stress disorder which negatively influenced their physical symptoms.

Earlier research has suggested that PTSD and hypersensitivity to pain may increase the likelihood that a patient develops chronic symptoms after whiplash. However it is still unclear how psychological symptoms impact patients’ experiences with pain and disability. Additionally, whiplash associated disorders encompass a broad range of symptoms, and not all patients suffer from hypersensitivity or PTSD.

These findings show how important it is to address the whole person, both the psychological and the physical symptoms, when treating patients recovering from whiplash-associated disorders. Reducing disability and pain can help to decrease anxiety and stress, which may then in turn help to further decrease disability and pain. Chiropractic care can help to begin this process by successfully alleviating the physical symptoms of whiplash, in addition to assisting with stress reduction.