Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026
Modified Drop Tower Impact Tests for American Football Helmets
Published on: February 19, 2017
What are people's perspectives on different labels for neck pain after a motor vehicle crash? A content analysis of
Yanfei Xie1, Karime Mescouto2, Jenna Liimatainen2
1RECOVER 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.
Background:
Labels 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.
Aim:
To explore how people perceive different labels for neck pain after an MVC.
Methods:
We 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.
Results:
Compared 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.
Conclusion:
The 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.
More Related Videos
07:30A Test Bed to Examine Helmet Fit and Retention and Biomechanical Measures of Head and Neck Injury in Simulated Impact
Published on: September 21, 2017
04:28Warm Moxibustion and Scraping as a Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapy for Cervical Spondylosis Treatment
Published on: June 27, 2025
