title: Correlation among physical impairments, pain, disability, and patient satisfaction in patients with chronic neck pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the correlations among pain, physical impairments, disability, and patient satisfaction in patients with chronic neck pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal cohort study with 6-month follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Institutional practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects (N=218) with chronic neck pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were treated with different physiotherapy modalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained for self-reported disability, verbal numeric pain scale, patient satisfaction, and 2 measures of physical impairments during the initial visit, at 6 weeks, and finally at 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The correlation among 4 sets of measurements varied. Moderate correlation was noted between disability and patient satisfaction ( r range, .50-.65), and between disability and pain ( r range, .55-.63). A fair relationship was found between pain and patient satisfaction ( r range, .43-.48), but only weak relationships were found between physical impairments and pain ( r range, -.08 to -.25). The correlations tended to increase in the follow-up assessments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No strong correlations were found among disability, patient satisfaction, pain, and physical impairments although the correlations tended to increase in the follow-up assessments. The findings support the suggestion that clinicians should address as many relevant aspects of a presenting clinical entity as possible in the management of chronic neck pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, University of Hong Kong, Hung Hom, Hong Kong. rstchiu@polyu.edu.hk
authors.forename: Thomas T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Tai-Hing
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hedley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction