Sex-based differences in pain distribution in a cohort of patients with persistent post-traumatic neck pain

AbstractObjectives: To analyze a cohort of 745 consecutive patients referred to a regional specialist clinic for evaluation of post-traumatic neck pain during a five-year period.Methods: A cross-sectional observational study of baseline assessments performed by multi-professional rehabilitation teams according to a standardized checklist.Results: The cohort contained nearly twice as many females as males (64% versus 36%). The type of injury did not differ between sexes. Of the entire cohort, 38% were diagnosed with widespread pain, 50% with regional pain, and 12% with local pain. The pain distribution among the females was 43% widespread, 48% regional, and 9% local, and corresponding figures among males were 29%, 53%, and 18%. Longer time between trauma and assessment did not affect pain distribution among the men, but a tendency towards more widespread pain was observed among the women.Discussion: The importance of "female sex" as risk factor for the development of persistent pain after neck trauma needs...