Frequency of Primary Neck Pain in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussion Patients.

The sample was a convenience sample from one academic medical center and level I trauma center, and recruitment was not continuous because research staff were not in the emergency department 24 hours per day. The final analysis included 95 adults aged 18 to 45 years, so findings may not apply to children, older adults, or other settings. Some participants did not complete later visits, including 16% loss to follow-up at 45 days. Participants were assessed in a laboratory setting within 72 hours, so neck pain reports may not reflect the acute emergency department experience. Neck pain was self-reported on a symptom checklist, and there was no physical examination of the neck or cervical spine. Ongoing treatment such as medications, physical therapy, or chiropractic care was not accounted for. There was no control group, and follow-up stopped at 45 days.

The supplied text does not include an author conflict-of-interest list. It states that the mild traumatic brain injury definition was based on the study sponsor, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the article is listed as receiving N.I.H. extramural and U.S. government non-P.H.S. research support.

Do not read this as evidence that neck pain in these patients is caused by a diagnosed cervical spine injury or that neck treatment helps. The study used self-reported neck pain, did not physically examine the neck, and did not compare treatment effects.