6 physical therapy sessions resulted in a modest acceleration to early recovery of persisting symptoms of acute whiplash injury as opposed a single physical therapy advice session, according to an article published in the medical journal The Lancet. Patients with acute whiplash injury, a common injury resulting from car accidents, were seen in emergency departments and then randomly assigned either (a) 6 physiotherapy sessions or (b) a single physical therapy advice session. Those that received the 6 physiotherapy sessions for their whiplash injuries showed modest benefit at 4 months as compared to those that received only the advice session.
But, the 6 sessions of physiotherapy cost more, so the recommendation going forward was for the single advice session. Most people that have suffered a whiplash injury in a car accident will tell you that they will always take a modest benefit in pain reduction and improvement in quality of life over saving a few dollars.
What the medical community and insurance industry will make of these results will remain to be seen, but clearly, physiotherapy has benefit. If you have been injured in a car accident and suffered an acute whiplash injury, it is important to follow your family doctor's recommendations for physiotherapy.