Improving whiplash diagnosis

A team of researchers from ANU, the University of Aarhus in Denmark and Canberra Hospital want to know whether new technology can help identify whiplash injuries in the neck that could lead to better treatment of chronic neck pain and disability. ANU anatomist and the study's lead investigator, Dr Alexandra Webb, says participants in the study will have their neck scanned using a 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner, which provides more detail and clarity than the more common 1. Tesla MRI scanner. "There has been substantial speculation regarding the source of neck pain and disability following whiplash, largely stemming from the elusiveness of structural damage in the neck," Dr Webb says. "However, recent advances in imaging technology have facilitated improvements in the identification of structural changes affecting the neck's joints and muscles." Whiplash is a term commonly used to describe an injury from when a person's head rapidly moves backwards and forwards as a result of a car crash. Injuries from whiplash can vary with symptoms including neck pain, stiffness and headaches that gradually disappear. In some cases, patient recovery can be slower with continued neck pain and reduced function.