Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41187546›Full record

Trial reportMusculoskeletal science & practice2025

What are people's perspectives on different labels for neck pain after a motor vehicle crash? A content analysis of randomized study data.

Yanfei Xie, Karime Mescouto, Jenna Liimatainen, Joshua R Zadro, Tonny Andersen, Michele Curatolo, Genevieve Grant, Gwendolen Jull, Helge Kasch, Joy MacDermid and 7 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Musculoskeletal science & practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Yanfei XieRECOVER Injury Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Australia; NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence: Better Health Outcomes for Compensable Injury, The University of Queensland, Australia; STARS Education and Research Alliance, Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS), The University of Queensland and Metro North Health, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Centre for Innovation in Pain and Health Research (CIPHeR), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/Yanfei_Xie.
Karime MescoutoRECOVER Injury Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Australia; NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence: Better Health Outcomes for Compensable Injury, The University of Queensland, Australia; STARS Education and Research Alliance, Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS), The University of Queensland and Metro North Health, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Centre for Innovation in Pain and Health Research (CIPHeR), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Jenna LiimatainenRECOVER Injury Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Australia; NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence: Better Health Outcomes for Compensable Injury, The University of Queensland, Australia; STARS Education and Research Alliance, Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS), The University of Queensland and Metro North Health, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Centre for Innovation in Pain and Health Research (CIPHeR), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Joshua R ZadroSydney Musculoskeletal Health, Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Local Health District and The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Tonny AndersenDepartment of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Michele CuratoloDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, and CLEAR Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Washington, Seattle, United States.
Genevieve GrantAustralian Centre for Justice Innovation, Law Faculty, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Gwendolen JullSchool of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Helge KaschDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
Joy MacDermidSchool of Physical Therapy, Western University, London, Canada.
Eva-Maj MalmströmDepartment of Pain Rehabilitation, Skane University Hospital, Lund, Sweden; Department of ENT, Clinical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Sophie Lykkegaard RavnSpecialized Hospital for Polio and Accident Victims, & Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Roedovre, Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Trudy RebbeckFaculty of Medicine Health, School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney and John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Kolling Institute, Sydney, Australia.
Anne SöderlundSchool of Health, Care and Social Welfare/ Physiotherapy, Mälardalen University, Vasterås, Sweden.
Julia TreleavenSchool of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Hans WestergrenRehabilitation Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Michele SterlingRECOVER Injury Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Australia; NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence: Better Health Outcomes for Compensable Injury, The University of Queensland, Australia; STARS Education and Research Alliance, Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS), The University of Queensland and Metro North Health, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Centre for Innovation in Pain and Health Research (CIPHeR), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Funding

UW Core Center for Clinical Research of Musculoskeletal ConditionsP30AR072572 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI JEFFREY G JARVIK, Pradeep Suri · 2017 to 2026
$8.3M
NIAMS NIH HHS P30 AR072572
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLabels for neck pain after a motor vehicle crash (MVC) influenced recovery expectations and management preferences. Research is needed to understand why these expectations and preferences varied based on the label given.

aimTo explore how people perceive different labels for neck pain after an MVC.

methodsWe performed a content analysis of qualitative data from a randomised controlled study. 2229 participants with and without neck pain read a vignette describing a patient with neck pain after an MVC, using one of five labels: whiplash injury, whiplash-associated disorder, post-traumatic neck pain, neck pain, or neck strain. Participants provided free-text responses on the label's meaning, associated words/feelings, required health services/treatments, and any confusion about the label.

resultsCompared to neck strain, post-traumatic neck pain, whiplash-associated disorder, and neck pain more commonly evoked negative feelings about symptom severity and prognosis (4.7 % for neck strain versus 7.2 %-16.0 % for other labels) and psychological distress (7.3 % versus 13.0 %-30.3 %). Regarding treatment preference, neck pain most commonly promoted need for passive physical therapies (21.6 %) and imaging (9.8 %), whereas neck strain most often promoted need for exercise (11.6 %) and rarely imaging (3.4 %). Neck pain was the most confusing label (39.9 %), while whiplash injury was the least (14.8 %), with confusion arising from vagueness or a mismatch with diagnostic expectations.

conclusionThe meanings, feelings and confusions evoked by neck pain labels after an MVC may explain their impact on recovery expectations and management preferences. Clinicians may consider avoid labels associated with negative feelings and lower preferences for guideline-recommended treatments.

Indexed as

Accidents, TrafficNeck PainWhiplash InjuriesAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchYoung AdultDiagnosisMusculoskeletal painNeck injuriesNeck pain

Identifiers

PMID41187546
PMCPMC13392460

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.