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Objective. This study aimed at exploring the perspectives and experiences of individuals with neck pain by synthesizing all available qualitative studies. Methods. A systematic, qualitative meta-summary and meta-synthesis was conducted following the 5-step methodology proposed by Sandelowski and Barroso. A systematic search of 9 electronic databases was conducted in May 2021. Methodological quality was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Results. Nine studies were included in the meta-synthesis for a total of 103 participants (73 women). Eleven categories were identified as belonging to 3 main themes: physical ('My neck has gone wrong'); psychological ('I am worried about my recovery'); and social ('Pain limits my life'). In the physical theme, the categories with the highest frequency were symptoms (67%) followed by body perception (44%). The psychological theme frequencies from highest to lowest were psychological consequences (100%), coping strategies (100%), mindset (67%), expectations from health care professionals (44%), and gender influence (22%). In the social theme, frequencies from highest to lowest were social relationships (56%), work, and activities of daily living and physical activity (44%, respectively). Conclusion. An individual's experience with neck pain is a multidimensional phenomenon in which physical, psychological, and social dimensions influence each other. These findings suggested that health care professionals should be aware of recognizing and evaluating all of the individual's experiences to offer a truly patient-centered care pathway. Impact. This qualitative meta-synthesis responded to a call to action to explore perspectives and experiences of individuals with neck pain. These findings can provide crucial guidance for clinicians as they plan and implement evidence-based recommendations for neck pain. Keywords: Neck Pain, Qualitative, Rehabilitation, Introduction Neck pain is defined as 'pain located in the anatomic region of the neck, with or without radiation to the head, trunk, and upper limbs.' (1) It represents a [...]

Background The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic begun in Wuhan in December 2019 and spread rapidly across the globe, causing millions of deaths. (1) Frontline health care workers (HCWs), including [...]

Objective. This study explored the association of patients' demographics, health status, symptom severity, previous osteoarthritis (OA) care, and psychological status with the change in pain severity following a first-line intervention including education and exercise for OA provided nationwide in Swedish primary care. Methods. This register-based cohort study included 23,309 people with knee or hip OA from the Better Management of Patients with OA register. Linear regression models were used to assess the association of independent variables with the change in pain from baseline to 3 and 12 months. All the analyses were stratified based on the affected joint (hip vs knee). Results. In people with hip and people with knee OA, high levels of baseline pain were associated with decreased pain at both follow-ups (3 months: knee B = -.67; hip B = -.64; 12 months: knee B = -.70; hip B = -.66), whereas being older, overweight, or female had a weak or no association. Finally, at both follow-ups, bilateral OA was associated with increased pain only in people with knee OA, whereas comorbidities and the willingness to undergo surgery were associated with increased pain regardless of the affected joint. Conclusions. Baseline pain showed the strongest association among the analyzed variables, whereas sex, age, and body mass index appear to be weakly associated with the pain change after a first-line intervention. Comorbidities and willingness to undergo surgery showed a potentially important association and may have a negative impact on the pain change following a first-line intervention. Impact. In people with hip or knee OA, age, sex, body mass index, and previous surgery are only weakly associated with the change in pain after a first-line intervention supporting the evidence recommending exercise and education as a foundation for all OA therapy. Having comorbidities and being willing to undergo surgery is associated with a worse outcome from a first-line intervention, including exercise and education. Individualized treatments addressing the disease perception and the specific comorbidity profile may improve the outcomes., Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the main causes of activity limitations in older adults, which places it among the world's 10 most disabling conditions. (1) Roughly 40% of the world [...]