Can fibromyalgia be associated with whiplash injury? A 3-year follow-up study

The objective of this study is to assess the long-term outcome and natural history of a cohort of patients with whiplash injury regarding the development of fibromyalgia. Of the 153 patients who were admitted to the emergency room after whiplash injury in 2004, 126 were reassessed 3 years later. Als...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Rheumatology international 2011-09, Vol.31 (9), p.1209-1213
Main Authors: Tishler, Moshe, Levy, Ofer, Amit-Vazina, Mirit
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Dizziness - epidemiology
Fatigue - epidemiology
Female
Fibromyalgia - epidemiology
Fibromyalgia - etiology
Follow-Up Studies
Fractures, Bone - epidemiology
Headache - epidemiology
Humans
Insurance Claim Reporting
Interviews as Topic
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Middle Aged
Original Article
Pain - epidemiology
Prevalence
Quality of Life
Rheumatology
Sleep Wake Disorders - epidemiology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Treatment Outcome
Whiplash Injuries - complications
Whiplash Injuries - epidemiology
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Summary:The objective of this study is to assess the long-term outcome and natural history of a cohort of patients with whiplash injury regarding the development of fibromyalgia. Of the 153 patients who were admitted to the emergency room after whiplash injury in 2004, 126 were reassessed 3 years later. Also, 33 of 53 patients from the original control group of hospitalized patients with fractures were reevaluated. Patients were interviewed by phone and by written forms using a detailed questionnaire. Patients who complained of musculoskeletal symptoms were invited and examined. The study group included 68 men and 58 women, with a mean age of 50.1 ± 9.7. The control group included 19 men and 14 women with a mean age of 44.2 ± 10.3. Follow-up period did not differ significantly between the groups 38.3 ± 2.3 vs. 36.4 ± 4.2 months. At the end of the follow-up period, three patients in the study group compared with one patient in the control group were diagnosed as having fibromyalgia; all of them were women. The rate of new onset widespread pain increased with time in both groups. Symptoms of dizziness, headaches, fatigue and sleep disturbances improved, as well as the quality of life (QOL) and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) scores. Insurance claims continued to be more prevalent in the control group. The results of this extended follow-up study confirm previous short-term results showing that whiplash injury and road accident trauma are not associated with an increased risk of fibromyalgia.
ISSN:0172-8172
1437-160X
DOI:10.1007/s00296-010-1412-7