User's Manual Part 2
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section 10
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Greenwood, K.M. & De Nardis, R.J. (2000). Melbourne Whiplash Centre Outcome Data.
Preliminary Report. Melbourne Whiplash Centre (Manuscript in preparation).
Summary of Findings
Having established that the measures produced by The Melbourne Protocol on the BTE Multi-Cervical Unit
have an acceptable degree of reliability (Greenwood & De Nardis, 2000a), the focus of research attention should
now move to the issue of the validity of measurements and the efficacy of therapy using the unit. Validity refers
to the “appropriateness, meaningfulness, and usefulness of the specific inferences made from test scores”
(Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, 1985, p.9).
Method
The data were obtained from 123 patients (66% female, average age 40.4 years, average chronicity of symptoms
98.0 months, average duration of treatment 6.9 weeks). Patients were assessed before and after the treatment
program on 8 variables: scores on Neck Disability Index, strength of isometric Flexion/Extension/Lateral
Flexion and range of motion of Flexion/Extension/Lateral Flexion/Rotation.
Paired t-tests were used to compare changes from pre- to post-program values.
Results
Pre-Program Post-Program t df p
Measure
Neck Disability Index 33.8 17.5 15.165 98 <.001
ROM (degrees)
Flexion 58.2 65.5 -8.041 116 <.001
Extension 48.7 55.3 -6.530 115 <.001
Lateral Flexion 38.8 48.0 -10.695 114 <.001
Rotation 63.5 73.4 -8.593 114 <.001
Isometric Strength (lbs)
Flexion 10.1 17.1 -15.808 116 <.001
Extension 14.5 25.0 -15.352 117 <.001
Lateral Flexion 10.9 18.6 -14.490 116 <.001
It can be seen that highly significant changes were found in all variables in the expected direction, most notably
for strength. It is clear from these results that treatments using the Melbourne Protocol with the BTE Multi-
Cervical Unit results in improvements in Neck Disability Index, strength and ROM in these patients as a group.
Six month follow-up data (thus far only available for 18 patients) indicates that there is no evidence of changes
in the values of NDI, strength and ROM from post-program to 6 month recording. Therefore, treatment gains
have persisted in this sample.