Whiplash Injuries. Current State of Knowledge

Abstract

Due to the rapid development of transport and a significant increase in the number of road users, whiplash injuries are a global health problem and a significant financial burden for both health care systems and insurance systems. The rich symptomatology of whiplash injuries with their impact on the somatic and emotional-behavioral sphere prompts us to define a new disease entity, namely Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD). The mechanism of whiplash injury is still under debate and theories explaining the pathogenesis of WAD are very diverse, ranging from purely biomechanical and hydrostatic to neurophysiological, emphasizing sensitization and dysfunctional neuromodulation of pain after whiplash injuries. WAD syndrome should be understood more broadly than just cervical trauma, as problems specific to local legal cultures often determine both epidemiological indicators, the course of treatment and prognosis of the disease. There is a need for further research on the issue of whiplash considering inconsistent literature data about optimal rehabilitation after such injuries.