Objective: To determine the prevalence of different pain mechanisms, including nociplastic pain, and the effects of these pain mechanisms on disability, pain intensity and quality of life in patients with chronic neck pain.

Methods: Between November 2022 and January 2023, 200 patients (mean age: 56.54±12.08 years) with chronic neck pain were included in the study. Neuropathic pain was identified by the painDETECT scale. Clinical criteria and a grading system were used to identify nociplastic pain affecting the musculoskeletal system. Pain intensity was as assessed using the visual analog scale, the pain catastrophizing by the pain catastrophizing scale, the disability status by the neck disability index (NDI), and the quality of life by the 36-item short form survey.

Results: A total of 53 (26.5%) participants had nociceptive pain, 29 (14.5%) had possible neuropathic pain, 22 (11%) had neuropathic pain, 35 (17.5%) had possible nociplastic pain, and 61 (30.5%) had probable nociplastic pain. Visual analog scale and NDI scores were higher in patients with neuropathic pain or nociplastic pain than in those with nociceptive pain (p<0.00).

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that nociplastic pain is present in individuals with chronic neck pain and may be linked to meaningful differences in pain severity, functional impairment, and overall quality of life.ClinicalTrials.gov Reg. No.: NCT05581446.