Role of therapeutic neck specific exercises in chronic WAD
Massimo Bitocchi
Whiplash injury is common and is often associated with long-term pain and disability as well as psychological distress. One of the factors attributed to the persistence of symptoms in individuals with WAD is deconditioning of the neck muscles, which can affect the physical support of the cervical spine. Some studies have shown characteristic morphological changes in the neck muscles of patients with WAD, and there is clear evidence for the effectiveness of neck-specific exercise in the management of chronic nonspecific neck pain. This paper analyzes the results conducted for neck-specific exercise (NSE) interventions compared with neck-specific exercise with the addition of a behavioral approach (NSEB) and compared with overall physical activity (PPA). The NSE group produced superior results compared with PPA in this population with chronic WAD. The benefits observed from adding a behavioral approach to exercise implementation in this study were inconclusive.