Pain intensity and disability level in patients with neck pain differ depending on the presence of neuropathic pain

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the factors influencing the pain intensity and disability level differ depending on the presence of neuropathic feature (NF) in patients with neck pain. We examined the differences in the factors influencing the pain intensity and disability level between the neuropathic feature (NF) and nonneuropathic feature (non-NF) groups comprising 59 outpatients with neck pain. The clinical symptoms in the NF group were more severe than those in the non-NF group, including the pain intensity, disability level, pain catastrophizing, kinesiophobia, depression, perceived injustice, and cervical range of motion. Moreover, in the patients with NF, the degree of depression correlated with the pain intensity and pain catastrophizing strongly correlated with the level of disability. This study suggested the need for interventions that consider the cognitive and psychological factors in patients with neuropathic neck pain.