Factors Associated with Pain, Disability, and Quality of Life in Adults Aged 18-65 with Nonspecific Chronic Neck Pain: A Single-Center Observational Study.

Background/

Objectives

Non-specific chronic neck pain is one of the biggest problems in the current population, with high levels of pain and disability and a decrease in the quality of life. The aim of this study is to assess possible variables that may be associated with neck pain, such as disability, pain, quality of life, sex, neck muscle endurance, active range of motion (AROM) and frequency of drug use.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional study of non-specific chronic neck pain with a total of 105 subjects. The variables pain-related disability, pain, quality of life, sex, AROM and frequency of drug use were evaluated.

Results

A total of 105 patients with chronic neck pain were included (mean age 40.47 ± 12.18 years; 67.6% women). Neck pain-related disability showed significant negative correlations with all cervical AROM variables, particularly left rotation (r = -0.507) and right rotation (r = -0.489) (p < 0.001). Disability was also negatively correlated with health-related quality of life (r = -0.604) and positively correlated with pain intensity (r = 0.414) and frequency of drug consumption (r = 0.546) (p < 0.001). Regression analyses indicated that disability was associated with reduced left rotation mobility and higher drug consumption (R2 = 0.424). Pain intensity was associated with female sex, reduced right rotation mobility, and higher drug consumption (R2 = 0.246). Lower health-related quality of life was associated with higher drug consumption and female sex (R2 = 0.174).

Conclusions

Being female, having a reduction in active rotational mobility, and a high frequency of drug consumption are associated with greater pain-related disability and pain intensity, and a lower HRQoL in subjects with non-specific chronic neck pain.