Repositioning error, pressure pain threshold, catastrophizing and anxiety in adolescents with chronic idiopathic neck pain.

BACKGROUND

Impaired proprioception, increased pain sensitivity, higher levels of anxiety and catastrophizing are present in adults with chronic idiopathic neck pain. Despite the high prevalence of neck pain, studies in adolescents are scarce.

OBJECTIVES

The main aim was to compare pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) and joint repositioning error (JRE) between adolescents with chronic idiopathic neck pain and adolescents without neck pain. Secondary aims were to compare these groups for catastrophizing and anxiety and to investigate the association between PPTs, JRE and psychosocial variables and pain characteristics.

METHODS

80 adolescents (40 with and 40 without chronic neck pain) were assessed for: neck repositioning error, neck, upper trapezius and tibialis anterior PPTs, anxiety and catastrophizing. Neck pain was characterized in terms of intensity, frequency, duration and associated disability. MANCOVA was used for between group comparisons and Pearson and Spearman coefficients for correlational analysis.

RESULTS

Adolescents with neck pain showed higher levels of catastrophizing (p < 0.001) and anxiety (trait: p < 0.001; state: p = 0.028), lower PPTs (p < 0.001) and higher JRE (p < 0.001) than asymptomatic controls. Pain intensity, frequency and duration were moderately correlated with anxiety, and disability was moderately correlated with anxiety (r between 0.43 and 0.50, p < 0.05) and catastrophizing (r = 0.40, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that functional changes and maladaptive cognitive processes are present in adolescents with neck pain aged 16-18 years old. These findings need to be replicated in future studies.