Abstract

Background
: The common precipitating events of whiplash injury are motor vehicle crashes, falls, or sport injuries. When cervical strain with myofascial symptoms occur, systemic nonsteroidal agents are not very effective. Methods: One group pretest posttest design. We had 35 patients (male: 24; female: 11) enrolled in the study from April 1998 to August 1999. Prior to lidocaine injection therapy, a pain score ‘10’ was given to all patients, regardless of intensity of their complaints. We measured the pain score after the injection at an intervals of 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and before discharge. We measured not only the pain score but also the range of motion (rotation, flexion, and extension) after trigger point injection therapy. Results: Thirty (30) out of 35 patients reported improvement within 10 minutes, and the change in the pain score was from 10 to 4.7 (p<0.05). Also, 19 out of 15 patients showed a remarkable improvement. Conclusion: Trigger point (TrP) injection therapy as a pain control in emergency room is very effective. Further study is required.

• Keywords: Whiplash injury, Neck sprain, Trigger point injection