Recent metanalysis of studies suggests recovery is not great after 3 months
Pain. 2008 Sep 15;138(3):617-29. Course and prognostic factors of whiplash: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Kamper SJ, Rebbeck TJ, Maher CG, McAuley JH, Sterli abstract
These data suggest that:
- “recovery occurs for a substantial proportion of subjects in the initial 3 months after the accident but after this time recovery rates level off.
- Pain and disability symptoms also reduce rapidly in the initial months after the accident
- but show little improvement after 3 months have elapsed.
- Data regarding the prognostic factors associated with poor recovery were difficult to interpret due to heterogeneity of the techniques used to assess such associations and the way in which they are reported.”
Insurers want to work by the rule that people will get better if given enough time and will automatically want to terminate patients who don’t get better. They may need to be reminded that:
1) Recovery unassisted could be poor after 3 months
2) If they paid out disability at three months, then they should continue to do so unless they could come up with their own metanalysis showing that things are somehow different.
3) An assessment does NOT heal anything either and is typically biased.