Have you had whiplash recently? Take part in the StressModex SCED study.

Have you had a whiplash injury recently? Participate in the StressModex SCED study to receive free treatment from a qualified physiotherapist and help us refine a new program for treating whiplash injuries.

Whiplash injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes are common, and a substantial proportion of individuals experience persistent pain, psychological distress, and delayed recovery in the months following injury.

StressModex is a newly developed, physiotherapist-delivered intervention that integrates therapeutic exercise with practical stress-management strategies to support individuals in the early stages of recovery.

We are inviting individuals with whiplash-associated disorders to participate in research aimed at refining this program and optimising its delivery for people recovering from whiplash.

Who can participate?

Adults (18+) who:

Have sustained a road-traffic–related neck injury within the past 3 months, resulting in sore and stiff neck (called Grade II Whiplash Associated Disorder)
Are not currently receiving other treatment for their neck (medication is okay)
Are currently experiencing stress

What is involved?

2-minute daily online surveys for 50 to 60 consecutive days
6 x physiotherapy sessions over 6 weeks
5 x brief online audio-recorded interviews (approximately 15 minutes each)
4 x longer surveys
Wearing a heart rate monitor

Reimbursement:

Free physiotherapy treatment valued at approximately $735 that could help improve neck pain and support physical and emotional wellbeing.
$50 gift voucher for your participation in a follow-up interview and survey conducted six months post-treatment.

Venue:

Treatment sessions will take place at a designated physiotherapy clinic close to you.

Get involved

To register your interest, please fill in the screening questions in this short survey.

This project has been approved by The University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee [Approval No. 2025/HE001963]