Whiplash Injury Successfully Treated with Prolotherapy: A Case Report with Long-Term Follow Up

Abstract

Background: Chronic whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) can develop after flexion/extension injuries and may be refractory to standard-of-care therapies. Aim: To present successful treatment of severe, longstanding, treatment resistant WAD with prolotherapy. Materials & methods: Four, monthly sessions of fluoroscopically guided prolotherapy with phenol-glycerin-glucose. Electronic data on pain (visual analog score), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), pain interference, depression, anxiety, sleep and quality of life were collected with University of Washington’s (WA, USA) online tool for a total of 21 months. This study conforms to the Case Report Guidelines (CARE). Results: Significant improvement was achieved and maintained through 18 months after treatment in all assessed pain and functional measures. Conclusion: Regenerative medicine, including prolotherapy may be an appropriate treatment option for carefully selected patients with WAD.

Graphical abstract

Keywords::

• headache
• neck pain
• prolotherapy
• regenerative medicine
• WAD
• whiplash-associated disorder

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained verbal and written informed consent from the patient/patients for the inclusion of their medical and treatment history within this case report.