The Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire, devised to measure neck pain and disability

Abstract

Neck pain is common in rheumatological practice. Assessment of outcome is difficult without objective measures. A neck pain questionnaire using nine five-part sections has been devised to overcome this problem. Forty-four rheumatology out-patients with neck pain were studied. Questionnaires were completed on days 0 and 3-5, and at 1 and 3 months. There was good short-term repeatability (r = 0.84, kappa = 0.62). Mean scores of each of the nine sections tended to rise with that of the pain section showing internal consistency. Questions on duration and intensity of pain were good indicators of a patient's global assessment. The questionnaire is easy for patients to complete, simple to score and provides an objective measure to evaluate outcome in patients with acute or chronic neck pain.