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Johan Larsson. Photo.

Johan Larsson

Doctoral student

Johan Larsson. Photo.

Sex-based differences in pain distribution in a cohort of patients with persistent post-traumatic neck pain

Author

  • Hans Westergren
  • Johan Larsson
  • Michael Freeman
  • Anna Carlsson
  • Anna Jöud
  • Eva Maj Malmström

Summary, in English

Objectives: To analyze a cohort of 745 consecutive patients referred to a regional specialist clinic for evaluation of post-traumatic neck pain during a five-year period. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study of baseline assessments performed by multi-professional rehabilitation teams according to a standardized checklist. Results: The cohort contained nearly twice as many females as males (64% versus 36%). The type of injury did not differ between sexes. Of the entire cohort, 38% were diagnosed with widespread pain, 50% with regional pain, and 12% with local pain. The pain distribution among the females was 43% widespread, 48% regional, and 9% local, and corresponding figures among males were 29%, 53%, and 18%. Longer time between trauma and assessment did not affect pain distribution among the men, but a tendency towards more widespread pain was observed among the women. Discussion: The importance of "female sex" as risk factor for the development of persistent pain after neck trauma needs to be discussed further. The high frequency of regional and widespread pain among patients with persistent neck pain after trauma calls for both multidisciplinary assessments and treatment strategies. The relationships between different pain distribution patterns, disability, activity, and psychological factors need to be studied further.Implications for rehabilitationPatients suffering from pain and disability after neck trauma constitute a significant proportion of patients with persistent pain.The importance of the risk factor “female sex" should be further discussed in the development of persistent pain after neck trauma.The high frequency of regional and widespread pain among patients with persistent neck pain after trauma calls both for multidisciplinary assessments and treatment strategies.The relationships between different pain distribution patterns, disability, activity, and psychological factors need to be studied further.

Department/s

  • Rehabilitation medicine
  • Epidemiology
  • Environmental Epidemiology
  • Otorhinolaryngology (Lund)

Publishing year

2018

Language

English

Pages

1085-1091

Publication/Series

Disability and Rehabilitation

Volume

40

Issue

9

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Topic

  • Physiotherapy
  • Other Clinical Medicine

Keywords

  • gender differences
  • pain distribution
  • persistent pain
  • sex characteristics
  • Whiplash trauma

Status

Published

Research group

  • Rehabilitation medicine
  • Epidemiology
  • Environmental Epidemiology

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0963-8288