Acute cervical spine trauma in adults

Patients with simple neck sprain injury (i.e., injury to the neck where there has been no demonstrable bony injury or unstable ligamentous injury) or whiplash should be followed up by a primary care physician at intervals of at least 7 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months, unless the condition has resolved. The treating physician should consider the possibility of an undiagnosed injury if symptoms do not resolve or if they worsen. Specialist referral should be sought in situations where symptoms do not respond to attempted treatments.