Chronic whiplash injury associated pain (Q89873)

Whiplash Injury Associated Pain is chronic pain developing or increasing in intensity after a whiplash injury (neck injury due to forceful, rapid acceleration/deceleration movement of the neck, commonly in rear-end motor vehicle crashes, sports accidents, physical abuse or other neck trauma) that persists or recurs for longer than 3 months after the injury (i.e. beyond the healing process). The pain is localised in the area of the preceding neck injury and may radiate into surrounding areas. Other causes of chronic pain including infection, malignancy etc. need to be excluded as well as chronic pain continuing from a pre-existing pain condition. In case of pain that continues from a condition before the injury, intensity and/or pain characteristics must be different and may include the new development of a neuropathic component.