Responsiveness of the German version of the Neck Disability Index in chronic neck pain patients: a prospective cohort study with a seven-week follow-up.
Anke Langenfeld, Antonia Pia Gassner, Brigitte Wirth and 4 others
PMID 36244985WHAT IT FOUND
A change of 2 points on the German Neck Disability Index reliably identifies patients who feel better.
This small shift distinguishes improved from non-improved patients in chronic neck pain, supporting its use for tracking treatment response.
Key findings
01A change score of 2 points on the Neck Disability Index-German version distinguishes clinically improved from not improved patients with acceptable accuracy.
02The Neck Disability Index-German version showed a moderate correlation with patients' own reports of improvement.
03The study included 50 participants, but 46 completed the follow-up assessment.
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 sample size was small (50 at baseline, 46 at follow-up), which limits the generalizability of the findings. The chiropractic treatment provided was not standardized, so variations in care may have influenced recovery. Participants had relatively low baseline disability scores, which may not reflect the experience of patients with more severe neck pain. The study was conducted in a specific clinical setting (Switzerland) with German-speaking participants, so results may not apply to other populations or languages.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest or funding sources were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a 2-point change on the NDI-G guarantees clinical improvement for every patient. This threshold was derived from a specific group of chronic neck pain patients receiving chiropractic care, and its applicability may vary across different treatments or patient populations.