NECK PAIN IN THE GENERAL-POPULATION

Study Design. A randomized cross-sectional questionnaire was used to d etermine the prevalence of neck pain in Norwegian adults. Objectives. The frequency and duration of neck pain were assessed. Summary of Back ground Data. Reliable epidemiologic studies on the prevalence of neck pain in the general population have been sparse. Methods. A questionna ire that inquired about neck pain within the last year was sent to a r andom sample of 10,000 adult Norwegians. Results. Overall, 34.4% of th e responders had experienced neck pain within the last year. A total o f 13.8% reported neck pain that lasted for more than 6 months. Conclus ions. Chronic neck pain is a frequent symptom in the general populatio n, particularly in women. Although reservations have to be taken as to the interpretation, the reported prevalence of persisting pain after whiplash injuries is of the same magnitude as the prevalence of chroni c neck pain in the general population.