ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2007
Management of acute neck pain in general practice: a prospective study.
Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Diagnostic accuracy of physical examination tests for painful cervical radiculopathy: update of a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Pooled it
- Clinimetric evaluation of methods to measure muscle functioning in patients with non-specific neck pain: a systematic review.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2008Pooled it
- Clinimetric evaluation of active range of motion measures in patients with non-specific neck pain: a systematic review.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2008Pooled it
- Trial
- Cost-effectiveness of manual therapy versus physiotherapy in patients with sub-acute and chronic neck pain: a randomised controlled trial.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2016Trial
- Effects of three different conservative treatments on pain, disability, quality of life, and mood in patients with cervical spondylosis.Rheumatology international · 2012Trial
- The effectiveness and cost-evaluation of manual therapy and physical therapy in patients with sub-acute and chronic non specific neck pain. Rationale and design of a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT).BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2010Trial
- The Effectiveness of Manual Therapy in the Cervical Spine and Diaphragm, in Combination with Breathing Re-Education Exercises, on the Range of Motion and Forward Head Posture in Patients with Non-Specific Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Cervical Spine Range of Motion Reliability with Two Methods and Associations with Demographics, Forward Head Posture, and Respiratory Mechanics in Patients with Non-Specific Chronic Neck Pain.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025Article
- Article
- Consensus practice guidelines on interventions for cervical spine (facet) joint pain from a multispecialty international working group.Regional anesthesia and pain medicine · 2022Article
- Consensus practice guidelines on interventions for cervical spine (facet) joint pain from a multispecialty international working group.Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) · 2021Article
- Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Acute Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Review
- Timing of physical therapy consultation on 1-year healthcare utilization and costs in patients seeking care for neck pain: a retrospective cohort.BMC health services research · 2018Article
- Management of Whiplash Associated Disorders in Australian general practice.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2017Article
- Influence of Initial Provider on Health Care Utilization in Patients Seeking Care for Neck Pain.Mayo Clinic proceedings. Innovations, quality & outcomes · 2017Article
- Manual therapy compared with physical therapy in patients with non-specific neck pain: a randomized controlled trial.Chiropractic & manual therapies · 2017Article
- Why Neck Pain Patients Are Not Referred to Manual Therapy: A Qualitative Study among Dutch Primary Care Stakeholders.PloS one · 2016Article
- Comparison of Dry Needling versus Orthopedic Manual Therapy in Patients with Myofascial Chronic Neck Pain: A Single-Blind, Randomized Pilot Study.Pain research and treatment · 2015Article
- High power laser therapy treatment compared to simple segmental physical rehabilitation in whiplash injuries (1° and 2° grade of the Quebec Task Force classification) involving muscles and ligaments.Muscles, ligaments and tendons journal · 2013Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundResearch on neck pain in primary care is sparse. The role of GPs in taking care of patients with neck pain has not been described so far. This study focused on interested in the interaction between patients and GPs in their first contact on a new episode of neck pain.
aimTo describe GPs' management of acute neck pain in patients and to detail the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures undertaken by GPs and self-care by patients. DESIGN OF STUDY: A prospective cohort study with 1-year follow up.
settingGeneral practice in The Netherlands.
methodPatients consulting their GP for non-specific acute neck pain lasting no longer than 6 weeks were invited to participate. Questionnaires were collected from patients at baseline and after 6, 12, 26, and 52 weeks. Patients rated their recovery on a 7-point ordinal scale.
resultsIn total 187 patients were included. At baseline GPs prescribed medication for 42% of patients, mostly non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (56%) or muscle relaxation medication (20%); 51% were referred to a physiotherapist. Seventy-four per cent of referred patients reported recovery at the end of the follow-up year, whereas 79% of non-referred patients reported recovery. Frequently-given advice by the GP was to 'wait and see' (23%), 'improve posture' and 'stay active' (22%) or to 'take a rest' (18%). Self-care by patients included different sources of heat application (79%) and exercises (57%). Complementary medicine was used in 12% of cases and 39% of patients visited their GP again during follow up. Consultation of a medical specialist and ordering of X-rays rarely occurred.
conclusionManagement by GPs included a strategy to 'wait and see' for an expected favourable natural course supported by medication, or referral to a physiotherapist.
Indexed as
Identifiers
17244420PMC2032696What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.