Perceptions and Experiences of Individuals With Neck Pain: A Systematic Critical Review of Qualitative Studies With Meta-Summary and Meta-Synthesis.
Luca Falsiroli Maistrello, Laura Zanconato, Alvisa Palese and 5 others
PMID 35708498WHAT IT FOUND
People with neck pain described their experience as multidimensional.
While physical symptoms like stiffness and headaches were common, the strongest themes were psychological worry and social limitations. Participants reported fear of movement, frustration with care, and difficulty working or maintaining relationships.
Key findings
01Participants reported that neck pain negatively influenced psychological aspects, including feelings of hopelessness, fear of movement, and impaired concentration.
02Work was one of the most limited activities, with many participants unable to work at full capacity due to physical impairment, stress, and high responsibility levels.
03Participants expressed a need for specific health care explanations and felt misunderstood or abandoned when professionals did not provide comprehensive information or close follow-up.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The review included only nine studies with 103 participants, which limits the breadth of experiences captured. Many of the included studies had methodological weaknesses, such as unclear researcher roles and data collection methods, which could bias the findings. The search was limited to English-language studies, potentially missing relevant data from other cultures. The studies were conducted primarily in Europe, Canada, and Australia, so the findings may not generalize to other healthcare systems or cultural contexts. Participants had nonspecific neck pain; results do not apply to those with radiculopathy, whiplash, or myelopathy.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest or funding sources were explicitly declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these findings apply to patients with specific cervical pathologies like whiplash or radiculopathy, as they were excluded from this review. Additionally, the low number of included studies and methodological weaknesses in some sources mean these themes represent a snapshot of available qualitative data rather than a definitive picture of all neck pain experiences.