The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #38793

Michael S. Goldstein, PhD¹, Hal Morgenstern, PhD², Eric Hurwitz, DC, PhD³, and Fei Yu, PhD³. (1) Department of Community Health Sciences, Universtiy of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health, 10833 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90095, 310-825-5116, msgoldst@ucla.edu, (2) Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health, 10833 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90095, (3) Department of Epidemiology, UCLA, School of Public Health, 10833 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90095

The association of psychosocial factors and chronic neck pain is well established. However, little is known about how these relationships interact with varying forms of chiropractic treatment to influence clinical outcomes. The UCLA Neck Pain Study offers an opportunity to address these concerns. Three-hundred-thirty-six neck pain patients presenting to a large managed-care facility between February, 1998 and June, 2000 were randomized to 8 treatment groups in a balanced 2x2x2 factorial design: spinal manipulation with and without heat therapy and with and without electrical muscle stimulation; and spinal mobilization with and without heat therapy and with and with out electrical muscle stimulation. Two-hundred-sixty-nine patients (80%) were followed over six months. Primary outcome measures are average and most severe neck pain intensity over the past week, and neck-pain related disability. Psychosocial factors (perceived occupational stressors, locus of control, sense of personal responsibility for one's health, perceived social support, and seeing oneself as sickly) varied consideably among the study particpants, but were not related to clinical outcomes. The results were consistent across all treatment groups. Chiropractic care appears to be equally effective for patients regardless of their psychosocial situation.

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