Article

Chronic neck pain can result in significant levels of disability. Physiotherapy
treatments often aim to modify cognitive factors and this approach benefits some,
but not all, patients.
Research from other pain conditions suggests that
acceptance may be related to disability; however, it is unclear whether these
associations exist in patients with neck pain. Moreover, it is unclear to what
extent other cognitive factors are related to acceptance.
Feasibly, if these
factors are related, existing treatments may already be indirectly modifying
acceptance. The aim of this study was therefore to establish the associations
between acceptance and disability, and between acceptance and other cognitive
factors. Cross-sectional data were collected from 149 patients and regression
analyses were carried out. In the first analysis, disability was the dependent
variable and the proportion of variance explained by two acceptance subscales
(activities engagement and pain willingness) was calculated. In the second
analyses, the acceptance subscales were the dependent variables. Measures of
pain-related fear, catastrophizing and pain vigilance and awareness were entered
as explanatory variables and the proportion of variance explained was calculated.
In the first analysis, acceptance explained 18% of variance in disability
(P<0.001). In the second analysis, cognitive factors explained 7% (P<0.05) of
variance in activities engagement and 58% (P<0.001) of pain willingness. On this
basis, treatments that enhance acceptance may reduce disability. Moreover, as
cognitive factors were strongly related to pain willingness,
but not activity
engagement, alternative treatments may be required to maximize acceptance.
Further studies are warranted to assess acceptance-based treatments in patients
with neck pain.

Langue : ANGLAIS