Exploring functional limitations in people with traumatic and nontraumatic neck pain

The aims of this thesis were to describe the clinical characteristics of two types of neck pain presenting in primary physiotherapy care, namely nontraumatic neck pain and traumatic neck pain. Therefore, two new measurement instruments were developed and evaluated. Subsequently, the clinical characteristics, in terms of severity of pain, impairments in physical or mental functions and disability, and the complexity of these types of neck pain are presented and discussed. The research concluded that clinical characteristics were differently associated with disability in both patient groups. Traumatic NP is a more complex condition as more characteristics interact, and the contribution of individual characteristics to disability is less straightforward. The findings of these studies contribute to a more thorough understanding of differences between subgroups of neck pain, the impact of neck pain on the daily functioning of people, and the use of accurate diagnostic instruments in primary care physiotherapy