The Neck Disability Index Reflects Allodynia and Headache Disability but Not Cervical Musculoskeletal Dysfunction in Migraine.
Zhiqi Liang, Lucy Thomas, Gwendolen Jull and 1 others
PMID 35230421WHAT IT FOUND
In people with migraine and neck pain, Neck Disability Index scores tracked allodynia and headache impact, not cervical musculoskeletal dysfunction.
Shortened NDI versions also failed to reflect physical neck limitations, suggesting scores capture migraine features rather than local neck mechanics.
Key findings
01Total NDI scores were significantly predicted by neck pain frequency, neck pain intensity, allodynia severity, and headache disability, but not by the presence of cervical musculoskeletal dysfunction.
02No alternate NDI version, including physical-only, mental-only, NDI-8, and NDI-5, was significantly associated with cervical musculoskeletal dysfunction.
03Participants with migraine and neck pain showed similar mean total NDI scores regardless of whether they had cervical musculoskeletal dysfunction.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Migraine and neck pain frequency and intensity were self-reported averages over three months, introducing recall bias in a fluctuating condition. No power calculation was performed for this secondary analysis, so the sample may be insufficient to detect smaller associations. Cervical musculoskeletal dysfunction was defined by cluster analysis against control groups, which may not capture the full spectrum of neck impairment in migraine. The study included only participants with migraine and neck pain, so findings do not apply to migraine without neck pain or to isolated cervical disorders.
Declared interests
Funders played no role in the study design, conduct, or reporting.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret a high Neck Disability Index score as evidence of cervical musculoskeletal dysfunction in migraine. The score was not associated with physical neck limitations and instead tracked allodynia and headache disability, meaning it may reflect migraine sensitivity rather than a local neck problem.