02026nas a2200169   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042100001700059700001400076700001200090700001500102700001300117245005000130250001500180520161500195020004601810       2012                            d  c-357263871641 aRefshauge K.1 aLeaver A.1 aJull G.1 aMcAuley J.1 aMaher C.00aCharacteristics of a new episode of neck pain  a2012/06/193 a<p>
We report on the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients seeking manual therapy care for a new episode of non-specific neck pain and report on characteristics associated with higher levels of pain and disability in these patients. Demographic and clinical data were collected from patients who enrolled in a clinical trial of manipulation for neck pain. A profile of these patients was formulated using descriptive statistics. Multivariate linear regression models were used to describe the relationship between patient characteristics and severity of pain and disability. Patients with a new episode of non-specific neck pain reported pain intensity of 6.1 +/- 2.0 (mean +/- SD) on a 0-10 numerical scale and disability scores of 15.7 +/- 7.4 (Neck Disability Index/50). Sixty-three percent had a prior history of neck pain. Concomitant symptoms were highly prevalent including upper limb pain (80%), headache (65%), upper back pain (64%), lower back pain (39%), dizziness (31%) and nausea (23%). There was a strong association between pain intensity and disability (p &lt; 0.01). More severe pain was also associated with not having concomitant back pain (p = 0.01) More severe disability was also associated with poor general health (p &lt; 0.01), nausea (p &lt; 0.01), smoking, (p = 0.02) low SF-12 mental health score (p = 0.02), and shorter duration of symptoms (p = 0.03). Patients with a new episode of neck pain, and deemed suitable for treatment with neck manipulation reported moderately high intensity pain and disability with widespread and frequent concomitant symptoms.
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