Radiofrequency or surgery for whiplash? study digs into 20 years of data
NCT ID NCT07535515
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looked back at 170 adults with chronic neck pain from whiplash injuries to compare two treatments: radiofrequency (a nerve-blocking procedure) and neck fusion surgery. Researchers reviewed medical records from a 20-year period to see which treatment provided better pain relief, function, and recovery. No new treatments were given; the goal is to help guide future treatment decisions.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could help doctors and patients choose between two common treatments for chronic whiplash pain, leading to better pain relief and recovery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a retrospective study looking back at medical records, not a controlled experiment. Results may be influenced by how treatments were chosen, and the findings may not apply to everyone.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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170 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2005
- Finished
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Dec 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
The study population consists of adult patients with chronic post-traumatic cervical whiplash who were treated at a tertiary care hospital between 2005 and 2025. Eligible patients are those aged 18 years or older who developed persistent neck pain following a traumatic acceleration-deceleration injury and whose symptoms persisted for at least three months. All patients received either cervical medial branch radiofrequency or anterior cervical discectomy and fusion as part of routine clinical care, based on standard clinical indications. The population includes both male and female patients and represents a real-world cohort managed in specialized clinical practice. Only patients with sufficient clinical documentation and available follow-up data to assess pain, functional outcomes, and treatment durability are included.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria * Adults aged 18 years or older at the time of treatment. * Clinical diagnosis of chronic post-traumatic cervical whiplash, with symptoms persisting for at least 3 months following the traumatic event. * Cervical pain attributed to a traumatic acceleration-deceleration mechanism (whiplash injury). * Treatment with either: * cervical medial branch radiofrequency, or * anterior cervical discectomy and fusion performed as part of routine clinical care. Exclusion Criteria * Cervical pain primarily attributable to non-traumatic conditions, including degenerative cervical disease, inflammatory disorders, neoplastic disease, infection, radiculopathy, or cervical myelopathy. * History of previous cervical spine surgery before the index treatment, which could interfere with the assessment of treatment outcomes. * Patients who received both cervical radiofrequency and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for the same clinical episode of whiplash-related pain. * Cervical procedures performed outside the Hospital General Universitario de Valencia or without verifiable technical documentation in the medical record. Insufficient clinical documentation to confirm the diagnosis of post-traumatic whiplash or to evaluate pain, functional, or psychological outcomes after treatment. * Absence of clinical follow-up data after the index treatment. * Age under 18 years at the time of treatment. Availability of clinical follow-up data after treatment that allows assessment of pain and/or functional outcomes. Treatment performed at the Hospital General Universitario de Valencia between 2005 and 2025.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Consorcio Hospital General Universitario de Valencia
Valencia, Valencia, 46015, Spain
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