Factors influencing recovery from headache after common whiplash.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the relation between pretraumatic and trauma related headache in patients suffering from whiplash.

DESIGN

Follow up study of patients examined a mean (SD) of 7.4 (4.2) days after trauma and again at three and six months.

SETTING

Patients referred from primary care.

SUBJECTS

117 patients (mean age 30.8 (9.5) years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Prevalence of trauma related headache and the predictive relation by multiple logistic regression between different somatic and psychological variables and trauma related headache at each examination.

RESULTS

Prevalence of trauma related headache decreased from 57% to 27%. History of pretraumatic headache proved a significant risk factor for presenting with trauma related headache. A significant relation between trauma related headache and the following variables was found: at seven days the initial wellbeing score, early onset of neck pain, depression scale from the personality inventory, and the initial intensity of neck pain; at three months, intensity of neck pain, and history of pretraumatic headache; and at six months neck pain, pain intensity, and history of pretraumatic headache.

CONCLUSIONS

History of pretraumatic headache significantly increases the likelihood of presenting with trauma related headache but only in combination with findings indicative of clinically important injury to the cervical spine.