The effect of steroid treatment on whiplash associated syndrome: a controlled randomized prospective trial.

Purpose: There is significant evidence in the literature that low or relatively low cortisol concentrations near the time of an accident are associated with more severe forms of whiplash-associated disorders. We hypothesized that treating patients that were involved in a motor vehicle accident with hydrocortisone would alleviate the incidence and severity of these disabling disorders.

Methods: A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Can cortisol levels predict the severity of acute whiplash-associated disorders?

Background: The exact underlying mechanism of whiplash-associated disorders still remains obscure. Central sensitization of the brain to painful stimulus and disturbances in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis has been suggested to contribute to the development of whiplash-associated disorders. Although cortisol is a well-known factor in the acute stress response and its effects on chronic pain sensation were studied, information is lacking regarding the relation between acute phase cortisol concentrations and the intensity of whiplash-associated disorders.