Neck injury news -
19/08/2009

Research proves positive thinking can improve recovery time

People injured in whiplash claims have been found to recover about three times more quickly by thinking positively about their recovery.

In studies of more than 6000 people who suffered whiplash injuries in road accidents, researchers have been able to demonstrate that maintaining an optimistic outlook on recovery can help speed up recuperation.

In one study, people recovered three times faster with positive thinking. In another, a positive outlook about healing saw people recover 42 per cent faster than those with negative views.

In a third study, people with neck injuries caused by whiplash were four times more likely to experience injury symptoms when their recovery expectations were low half a year after they were injured.

The findings were described by researchers as "surprising" because recovery time was shown to be unaffected by the actual seriousness of the neck injuries.

The research on whiplash claims was carried out by a team at the University of Alberta in Canada.