Cervical Plexus Block (CPB) in Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD)

Brief summary (from the registry)

Whiplash is the most common injury associated with motor vehicle accidents and a major cause of disability and litigation. An acute whiplash injury follows sudden or excessive hyperextension, hyper flexion, or rotation of the neck affecting the soft tissues. It typically results from rear-end or side-impact motor vehicle collisions. Patients commonly present with pain and stiffness in the neck, headache, and upper backache. Chronic whiplash syndrome is characterized by symptoms of neck pain that persist for more than 3 months (1, 2). With over half a million people making whiplash injury claims per annum in the UK, it has a major impact on the healthcare and legal systems and also the economy. Over 40% of patients with whiplash injury report chronic neck pain and this is often refractory to conservative management (pain relief medications, physiotherapy). Current treatment involves burning the small nerves that supply the joints (facet joints) in the neck. Although they provide pain relief that can last 6-9 months, the nerves re-grow and the treatment has to be repeated. This treatment is a complex procedure that requires extensive training and has the potential to cause serious harm. There is new evidence to show that the pain in whiplash injury could be due to an impaired function of the neck muscles arising from whiplash trauma. Current treatment for this condition is injection of numbing medicine or steroids directly into the muscle. Although this treatment is safer than burning the facet nerves, it provides short-term relief. The investigators have shown that a novel treatment targeting the nerves that supply the muscles in the neck can provide durable relief in patients with chronic neck pain. The medication is injected into a specific area (plane) in the neck of the patient and is called cervical plexus block (CPB). The investigators currently offer CBP treatment as a standard treatment in the management of patients with chronic neck pain arising from whiplas…

Study details

Official title

Effectiveness of Ultrasound Guided Intermediate Cervical Plexus Block (iCPB) in Patients With Refractory Chronic Neck Pain From Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD): an Observational Study

Conditions

• Whiplash Associated Disorder

Interventions

• Procedure: Cervical Plexus Block with Local Anaesthesia
• Procedure: Cervical Plexus Block with Depot Steroids

Sponsor

University Hospitals, Leicester

Start date

2020-06-26

Primary completion

2022-08-20

Sex

All

Age range

from 18 Years to 90 Years

Results posted

No results posted in this snapshot

Countries

United Kingdom

Total sites listed

1

Eligibility criteria