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R I’m gonna kinda start by asking you how things have been
since we last met?
P They haven’t been too bad really, er I had, I had quite a thing
a work er we’ve got erm a pull erm towel machine. And I was
washing my hands one day and I this towel machine and it got
stuck so I pulled it and creaked my neck and since then I’ve
only had a bad neck maybe twice and that was because I was
looking down nearly all day.
R So what happened when [P excited and speaks over
P [demonstrating whilst speaking] I just like jerked my neck
and thought my neck oh goodness my neck. But then
R Did it crack or anything?
P er Yes it did it like creaked you know when I said I felt like I
could do with it stretching it had done that. You know my head
went down to my chest and I heard it creak and I thought oh I’ve
done something to my neck but then I don’t know whether its
stretched it or I did something to it but I haven’t er [P coughs]
had any trouble really with it.
R It sounds a bit like almost self administered spinal stretching
or osteopathy
P Yes
R Or whatever
P Yeh
R And it went crack
P I would have thought so yes yes. But before that I was erm I
just carried on doing ma my exercises and if I hurt I would do
my exercises.
R So how long ago was that then, when would you say it was?
P Oh maybe er 8 or 9 weeks ago.
R 8 or 9 weeks ago
P Yeh
R And since then it’s been improving?
P Yes
R erm [p] I take it that you’ve not seen anybody regarding your
injury erm at all?
P No
R Did you go back to the doctors at all ?
P No I didn’t No.
R What made you decide not to go back?
P er I don’t know I just thought that he couldn’t do, anything for
me apart from going to see someone that erm in those injuries er
that the doctor can only give you painkillers really.
R Right Ok. Are you feeling that you should have been seeing
somebody then?
P er [p] I think so yes I think that they could refer you to
someone else that knows some sort of [p] therapy I don’t know
really.
R Ok . Are you taking any treatment at the moment?
P No
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R Your’e not taking anything at all. Ok erm So at this stage how
do you feel about your experience of healthcare now?
P Err I think that they could do more er [p] a bit more supportive
of yeh I think the doctors could be I think the doctors could
explain it better and erm maybe sort of like say well come back
in six weeks come back in eight weeks and we’ll see how you’re
going on [p] and [p] then maybe to see what we can do for you.
R So would you see that it’s as oh if it doesn’t get better
P Actually it makes you go saying that. I’m saying if the doctor
says six weeks you would go but right he just gave me a leaflet
with exercises [R yeh] It was sort of like as if oh well there’s
nothing we can do for you just take this leaflet and [p] go do it
you know off you go
R Off you go
P Yeh yeh I suppose alright it’s a neck injury he thinks probably
that its only time but the support you got from your doctor
wasn’t very good.
R What do you think then its only a neck injury?
P er No I didn’t at the time I was quite upset about it I was in a
lot of pain. You don’t want to be taking painkillers its alright
saying take paracetamol but you don’t want to carry on taking
paracetamol just to get rid of the pain there’s nothing g else
some sort of support or whatever.
R So if he said to you then this is going to be really painful erm
and I want you to take this type of pain killers.
P No I wasn’t asking for a painkiller .
R No
P No I was
R But if he was to say to do that you need to take them for
maybe two or three weeks, till the pain goes away and settles
how would you have felt about that?
P I don’t think I’d want to be taking painkillers for three weeks
erm if it if it could be said oh go on there’s something stronger
than paracetamols if it really gets bad you could have one of
these I’d probably do that but not [p] just It sort of like erm a
can’t be bothered attitude. But I suppose they’re busy and
having a whiplash is not a serious thing really.
R And is that why you’re reluctant maybe then the painkillers
for example to take stronger ones. If you had broken your leg
would you have felt the same would you have.
P No I wouldn’t no. I don’t think so because you’ve actually got
[p] an injury that can be seen your neck isn’t an injury that you
can see or do anything with is it.
R Right so it’s because its hidden
P Probably.
R Its hidden away.
P [p] Yes its not as serious a as a broken leg but I suppose really
if the pain get too unbearable you would take something
anyway.
R Take something for the pain but its not serious [ P talks over
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P Yeh yeh
R as a broken bone
P No no
R The pain then
P It was a bad pain I’m not saying it wasn’t a bad pain it was
like having er like when you have a migraine you get sort of like
shooting pains into back of your head it was like that. It wasn’t
the dull pain sort of like some times you put up with.
R It took your attention [P talks over]
P It did it did. You could feel it was there.
R Ok erm Concentration is that effected still in anyway
P No I don’t think it is. No I think I’m fine with that.
R Sleeping how is that
P erm [p] No Its got better.
R Its got better
P Yes
R and has that been like a
P I think it was just a matter of time actually when I’d pulled it
things got better after then because I didn’t have a pain in back
of my head all the time . But you weren’t as uncomfortable.
R Was it the pain that kept that disturbed the sleep then?
P er it was the pain that did it yes because when you laid down
you just got pain at the back of your neck.
R How do you feel about your accident now?
P I’ve forgot about it.
R You’ve forgot about it.
P Yeh, yeh.
R Ok erm are you still having any pain at all from
P I am yes its [p] when I’ve when I’ve when I’m doing work
my head has to be erm sort of like when I’m looking down and
I’ve done it for considerable time it hurts then. If I’ve got just
doing normal things it doesn’t hurt. It’s just that when I like put
strain on my head and I’m looking down for a long time it does.
R So what would you say is a long time then
P If I’m doing it [p] if I’m doing a job where I have to read
things or doing work where I’ve got to look down and I’m doing
it all day it would hurt when I got home on a night. [R right]
three or four hours. Its not just ten minutes or whatever.
R Can you tell me about the pain when its happening what’s it
like?
P erm it’s it’s still at the back of your neck erm [p] its not as
intense as it was. It’s like having a toothache you know its there
its not unbearable pain now really.
R So if I was to ask you to rate your pain on a scale of 1- 10 1 is
low how would you rate it
P I would probably say about 4
R About 4
P Yes its not it’s not a pain where I think I can’t stand this any
longer. It’s a pain that you can bear.
R So are you taking anything at all for pain relief?
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P No. I’m not taking anything.
R So is there kind of any methods or things that you use for
managing your pain
P er No not really no
R Nothing in particular anything you use at all
P No not
R Exercises
P Er I still if I get the pain I will do my exercises and I would
probably once its starts I would start the exercise and then when
the pain goes away I would stop doing them. I don’t do it
everyday.
R Right So how often would you say you do your exercises
then?
P erm Only when I get the pain really or maybe four times at the
most [inaudible] I haven’t yeh
R Settled down as it were. So looking at that what would you
feel is the best method for managing your pain
P [p] erm [p] I just put up with the pain until it really gets me
down and I think [sigh] I’ve just got to have something and I’ll
have a paracetamol.
R Why do you put up with it?
P [p] Because I suppose there’s nothing else well I think that
there’s nothing else that I can do. Apparently whiplash can be
with you for the rest of your life someone’s told me. [R right] I
don’t know whether it’s right or not. If it’s there for the rest of
your life you’ve got to put up with it really. I mean I don’t know
of anything there’s been no follow up from the doctor and I
think this is what it’s lacking. We just got this leaflet saying to
do exercises so maybe if they was somewhere were you could
go that explained it better than the doctor or [p] I just think there
can be more of a follow up than what there were. Perhaps if you
talk to other people that have had whiplash or there’s someone
or maybe like a physio who can move your neck round or
something [p] maybe that might help but I just think I just think
well there’s nothing I can do and I’m stuck with it.
R You’re stuck with it .
P Yes
R That seems like a lifetime that’s seems a long time.
P Well yeh It’s just someone that I was talking to at work and
they said well their friend had had it for a long time. So I just
think oh well if I’ve got it for a long time. I don’t know whether
that’s right or not
R How do you feel about that?
P Well there’s nothing you can do is there you’ve just got to erm
live with it really another thing that you’ve got to deal with.
R Ok.[p] erm Can you tell me how its effecting your life at the
moment?
P er No
R You said holding your head down
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P Well apart from that there’s nothing I can’t do that I did
before.
R So you can do all that you did before ?
P yes
R If I remember rightly the last time
P Oh yeh yeh I couldn’t do go fishing or when I went over a
bump it went sort of hurt. No I’m absolutely fine.
R You do all leisure wise
P erm well yes I haven’t er to tell you the truth I don’t know
because I haven’t been out in the boat yet and we don’t go back
until next year so I couldn’t say whether it’s going to effect me
or not but as I’m at home and I’m doing the things I do at home
its not stopping me.
R About work?
P No works fine?
R How about your mood how’s that been?
P er yes I think so I don’t think I’m more moody or anything.
R Your relationships or anything you weren’t going away or
going out last time?
P Oh right yeh. No its fine.
R Has the accident effected your driving in anyway?
P Erm [p] no not a bit jumpy.
R A bit Jumpy.
P Nervous you know I think about. I think you’re more aware of
things now.
R It’s not changed in any other way
P Just the awareness
R erm Has the accident changed how you feel when you are in
the car?
P [p] No not really
R Not really
P No
R Compensation I think when I asked you before you weren’t
claiming are you caliming?
P No
R So there’s no change in situation. So would you describe
yourself as recovered
P No er No I wouldn’t no because I still get the pain now and
again so I suppose really until the pain goes away you’re not
recovered are you
R For you once the pain goes you would say yes I am.
P Well yes yes
P So how are you managing with your injury at the moment?
P er [p] I’m fine really yeh yeh I’m ok
R Anything that you do to make it easier for yourself? Have you
changed the way you do things?
P No I don’t think so. I think you’re just a bit careful of how you
move your head
R How you move your head
P yeh
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R You’re still aware of [P talks over]
P yes yes. [p]
R Ok
P After I’ve done that I think oh when I’m doing something
like er if I’m making the bed or if I’m doing something in the
garden I try not to move my head, too fast because I think if I do
it and it goes back to how the pain was [p]
R So in a sense then it’s altering the way you’re doing things.
P Yes
R So if you’ve got to take extra care making the bed and things
P yeh yeh
R So in a say you would say it was like what it involves
P I think you’re more aware of what you do and how you do
things before you just did it and I think you don’t take things
you don’t take your head for granted. Because all it needs is a
slight knock or a move I mean when I did that I didn’t think that
I’d done anything to me [p] so and it was only erm it wasn’t a
big pull just that it got stuck and I went like that [P demonstrates
movement] and my head went forward so I think if it went
forward and I did that if I’m doing things at home [p] or I’m in
the garden if it did it and I did that again it might go back to how
it was.
R Right then so are you saying you’re consciously aware [P
talks over Yes] of your head movements.
P yes I am
R So that is a difference then there is a change then.
P Yes yes
R That wasn’t there before
P Yes
R So you’ve become aware and you don’t take for granted.
P Yes you do yeh.
R erm [p] I’m not sure whether it was how you are managing
with your injury or what you do to make it easier for yourself
that brought this on.
P Well its just that its all the same really isn’t it How you cope
with it and what you do.
R So what do you think would help you now have you any
thoughts?
P Erm [p] No I haven’t I thought erm I’d thought about going
having massaged or going to a sports injury thing to see if he
could loosen it up. But it doesn’t creak anymore like it used to
every time I moved my head it used to creak and so at this
moment in time I’m not doing anything because I feel quite fine.
Its not giving me too much pain and so I think oh well I’ll just
leave it .
R Leave it alone
P Yeh yeh. If I had to go and have it massaged or it might
irritate it or
R Fear of making things [ Both say worse at the same time]
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So what kinda stopped you from going to a sports therapist that
you mentioned.
P Because I didn’t know I didn’t know whether they would be
able to do anything with it and my friend her daughter she
played netball and she did her neck in and she went to someone
that er did this massaging and they did something and her neck
got better. Now then I’d thought about going but then after it
might have been two weeks or whatever and I was busy at home
I did my neck anyway so I didn’t need to go do it
R Was that when you did the tug
P Yeh So I didn’t have to go do anything but maybe if if the
pain got so it was unbearable instead of taking the tablets I
would go.
R You would go as an alternative
P Yes yes
R Ok then so on the whole what do you think’s been the biggest
impact of your injury for yourself and your family/
P [p] well [p] I don’t think my family’s suffered really erm its
just sort of like putting up with the pain until it gets easier.
R What’s been the biggest thing for you?
P erm Just the pain really.
R The pain
P It does it does
R Have you any thoughts to what it is about the pain
P I don’t know because its [p] I don’t know whether because I
haven’t spoke to anyone that’s had whiplash I don’t know
whether you get different sorts of pain you get different sorts of
whiplash. When you break your arm you’ve got a break and
there’s something there when you go and you’ve got whiplash.
You just know of your own pain so you don’t know whether
there’s other peoples pain that is worse than yours or not as bad
as yours or whatever. That was the thing for me the pain at the
back of your head that was it was a piercing pain that sort of like
[p] sort of scrunch up into your head. But this I think this should
be something that the doctor could tell you what it was going to
be like and that’s why there should be some follow up to it.
R Right So is it follow up to the injury
P Yes
R You’re saying or is it the fact that the pain persists it’s a
follow up.
P It could be. Yes yes that’s what I’m saying because you go to
the doctors and they just give you the leaflet saying about neck
injuries and tell you to do the exercises but the exercises don’t
take away the pain[R right] and you don’t even know whether
you’re doing them right at all so perhaps after six weeks you
went back to him and you had some sort of talk to see how you
were going on or somewhere to go.
R So you’re saying then that if the pain persists or the
movement [P speaks over Yeh]
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P yeh Because you don’t know whether you’re doing it right or
not. If you’ve broke your leg you’d go back to see if it was
healing. [R Right ahh] You’ve got this pain all the time at the
back of your neck and [p] there’s nothing you can do about it.
R So does that suggest that its not healing, what you are saying
is you go back and you know its healing
P yes
R You don’t go back.
P You don’t go back
R So you don’t know
P You’ve just got to put up with it and you are just stuck there
with this pain all the time.
R So what’s the reason that stops people from going back stops
you from going back?
P Because if there was something if the you went to the doctor
when you had your injury when you went to see about whiplash
and he said come back. You would go back But because he
doesn’t say come back you think well there’s nothing that he can
do for me.
R Not any other reason
P erm I don’t know really Its just that you don’t its something
that’s there and you don’t know what it is you’ve just got the
pain haven’t you . [p] I think there should be something a better
leaflet or .
R So its something about the not knowing
P Yeh. Yes because they don’t tell you how long it’s going to
last or what the pain is going to be like [p] or when he examines
you he could say we don’t know anything about this it can take a
long time it might not.
R Would that make [ P talks over ]
P it would make you feel yes
R How would it make you feel to be told that
P It wouldn’t bother me personally or if you said er well just he
didn’t even say come back he just says oh well you’ve got
whiplash. I think he said there’s not a lot we can do for it [R
right] Actually. So that’s probably why I never went back .
R So does that make it like a waste of time then?
P Yes it does.
R Is that what you’re saying because it’s like kinda skirting
P Yes and not having no follow up to it.
R So it’s a waste of time?
P Yeh and so this is what I think that oh well I’ve got it for a
long time I’ve got to put up with it yes yes.
R is there anything else you would like to add?
P er [p] No I don’t think so not at this time [p] apart from
informing people better. You know they should have they
should have a leaflet that or a booklet that tells you about it what
you are likely to experience and things like that, not just [p] all it
was was one page to do these exercises there’s nothing that tells
you about it really you know. I mean if you get a prescription or
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a bottle of cough medicine it says if these things persists go back
to your doctor and things like that. All you get from the doctor is
do these exercises.
R So in a sense what you’re saying is you get more information
on a bottle of cough medicine than?
P Yes But I mean this is for a long time and er you just get
nothing. If you could sit down and read it and read a booklet or
something and say oh well you could have discomfort in your
neck or you might have trouble sleeping whatever. At least
you’d know that other people [p] There’s no information.
R It ‘s like
P You don’t have any information and you don’t know what to
expect that’s what it is . And just sort of like left alone to deal
with it.
R Ok
P I think that’s what I think about it anyway.
R Yeh, yeh.
P If there could be something a bit more explicit than a piece of
paper which just tells you to do these exercises or maybe if they
did a booklet that told you how to do these exercises what sort
of thing you would experience and maybe if these things persist
after six months to go to a sports injury person or whatever or go
back to your doctor or something.
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