Coexistence of Neck and Shoulder Disability: Results of a Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study on Normative Scores and Multifactorial Risk Factors for Neck and Shoulder Problems

ABSTRACT

Methods@#Prospective questionnaire-based assessment was performed for 1,000 participants. Questionnaires consisted of validated generic and disease-specific queries and specific questions. The survey included patients without pathologies of cervical spine/shoulders/upper extremities. @*Results@#Mean age of participants was 39 years. The average neck VAS score was 1.2, NDI% was 7.3, arm VAS score was 0.8, QuickDASH was 6.2, mConstant score was 70.7, HADS-A score was 4.9, and HADS-D score was 3.2. The psychological scores showed a significant correlation with neck- and shoulder-disability (p35 kg/m2 influenced shoulder-disability (p<0.005) and psychological distress (HADS-D score, p<0.00001). Limited neck rotation was present in those with higher age, psychological distress, neck and shoulder disability (p<0.001). @*Conclusions@#Normative scores for neck and shoulder disability were established. The outcomes of cervical spine surgery can be normalized to these results. A better understanding of the interdependencies of neck and shoulder disability and psychological distress would enable superior decision-making and patient counseling.