Chronic Pain Outcomes Following Motor Vehicle Collisions

Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are a leading precipitant of persistent musculoskeletal pain, affecting a substantial proportion of survivors worldwide. Acute injuries sustained in MVCs—ranging from whiplash‐associated disorders to low back strain—can evolve into chronic pain through interlinked biological, psychological and social pathways. Key determinants of poor outcomes include the intensity of early post‐collision pain, psychological responses such as peritraumatic dissociation and anxiety, pre‐existing mood disturbance and limited social support. Genetic predispositions and molecular mediators, including microRNAs and polymorphisms in stress‐related pathways, have been implicated in the transition from acute to chronic pain. Trajectories of recovery vary: some individuals experience spontaneous resolution, while others develop persistent axial or widespread pain accompanied by functional impairment, reduced quality of life and elevated healthcare utilisation. Disparities in outcome by age, ethnicity and socioeconomic factors underscore the need for tailored interventions. Emerging strategies encompass digital symptom monitoring, educational tools, telecare support and stratified therapy guided by biomarkers and risk scores. Recognising the global burden of MVC-related chronic pain, research is increasingly focused on early screening, multidimensional outcome assessment and the development of preventive programmes to mitigate long‐term disability and societal costs.

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Chronic Pain Outcomes Following Motor Vehicle Collisions publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in chronic pain outcomes following motor vehicle collisions across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Adverse posttraumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae (APNS): A broad constellation of symptoms—such as pain, anxiety, sleep disturbance and mood changes—that can follow traumatic events.

Axial musculoskeletal pain: Pain localised to the spine or trunk, often arising in the neck, thoracic or lumbar regions after trauma.

Peritraumatic dissociation: A psychological response during or immediately after trauma, characterised by feelings of detachment or unreality, linked to poorer outcomes.

Polygenic risk score (PRS): An aggregate measure of genetic susceptibility calculated from multiple genetic variants associated with a given trait or condition.

Widespread pain: Persistent pain occurring in multiple regions of the body, beyond a single anatomical site.

References

1. Use of serial smartphone-based assessments to characterize diverse neuropsychiatric symptom trajectories in a large trauma survivor cohort. Translational Psychiatry (2023).
2. MicroRNA Circulating in the Early Aftermath of Motor Vehicle Collision Predict Persistent Pain Development and Suggest a Role for microRNA in Sex-Specific Pain Differences. Molecular Pain (2015).
3. Polygenic risk scoring to assess genetic overlap and protective factors influencing posttraumatic stress, depression, and chronic pain after motor vehicle collision trauma. Translational Psychiatry (2021).
4. Randomized controlled pilot study of an educational video plus telecare for the early outpatient management of musculoskeletal pain among older emergency department patients. Trials (2018).
5. Persistent and Widespread Pain Among Blacks Six Weeks after MVC: Emergency Department-based Cohort Study. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine (2021).
6. COMT genotype and non-recovery after a whiplash injury in a Northern European population. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (2017).