title: Methods for the best evidence synthesis on neck pain and its associated disorders: the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders.
abstract: METHODS
  Best evidence synthesis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To provide a detailed description of the methods undertaken in a systematic search and perform a best evidence synthesis on the frequency, determinants, assessment, interventions, course and prognosis of neck pain, and its associated disorders.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Neck pain is an important cause of health burden; however, the published information is vast, and stakeholders would benefit from a summary of the best evidence.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and its Associated Disorders conducted a systematic search and critical review of the literature published between 1980 and 2006 to assemble the best evidence on neck pain. Citations were screened for relevance to the Neck Pain Task Force mandate, using a priori criteria, and relevant studies were critically reviewed for their internal scientific validity. Findings from studies meeting criteria for scientific validity were synthesized into a best evidence synthesis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found 31,878 citations, of which 1203 were relevant to the mandate of the Neck Pain Task Force. After critical review, 552 studies (46%) were judged scientifically admissible and were compiled into the best evidence synthesis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and its Associated Disorders undertook a best evidence synthesis to establish a baseline of the current best evidence on the epidemiology, assessment and classification of neck pain, as well as interventions and prognosis for this symptom. This article reports the methods used and the outcomes from the review. We found that 46% of the research literature was of acceptable scientific quality to inform clinical practice, policy-making, and future research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, and the Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Canada. lcarroll@ualberta.ca
authors.forename: Linda J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: J David
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Cassidy
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Peloso
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giles-Smith
authors.forename: C Sam
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Stephen W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Greenhalgh
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haldeman
authors.forename: Gabrielle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van der Velde
authors.forename: Eric L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Hurwitz
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Côté
authors.forename: Margareta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nordin
authors.forename: Sheilah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hogg-Johnson
authors.forename: Lena W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Holm
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guzman
authors.forename: Eugene J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Carragee
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees / Q000458:organization & administration*; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods*; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000592:standards; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results