Investigating the Impact of Pain Duration and Socio-Demographic Factors on Pain Areas in Neck Pain Patients Using a m-Health Application.

Objectives: Neck pain presents a multifactorial challenge with substantial personal and societal impact. Traditional classification approaches often overlook the variability among patients. This study aims to systematically collect and analyze data using a mobile health (m-health) application to explore the anatomical distribution of pain in neck pain patients, with particular attention to pain duration and socio-demographic characteristics. The aim of this study is to assess whether an m-health application can provide relevant insights into the anatomical pain distribution in neck pain patients based on pain duration and socio-demographic variables.

Methods: The retrospective cross-sectional study adhered to ethical guidelines, analyzing data from medicalmotion app users reporting neck pain between October 2018 and September 2022. Collected data encompassed movement frequency, work position, pain duration, quality, and intensity (NRS, 0-10). Statistical analyses investigated pain variations based on different pain durations and lifestyles.

Results: This study examined data from 1359 participants (mean age 42.7, 70.1% females). Chronic pain (70.7%) had an average intensity of 6.2 (1.7). Participants reported 3.9 pain areas on average, with 'pulling' (63.2%) and 'pressing' (36.8%) as primary descriptors. The chronic pain group reported more pain areas (4.3) compared to subacute (3) and acute (2.4) groups. Logistic regression revealed significant anatomical differences, consistently distinguishing chronic pain from subacute and acute groups.

Conclusion: This study emphasizes notable differences in other painful areas of the body in people with chronic, subacute, and acute neck pain, underscoring the importance of considering pain duration. The moderate effect size and significant anatomical differences, identified through logistic regression, reveal the complexity of pain experiences in different neck pain groups. Accounting for confounding factors like age, sex, and sports frequency is crucial, aligning with research indicating an increased risk of persistent widespread neck pain in women.

Trial Registration: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/7XW23 (13.02.2023 via OSF Registries).