Perceived pain and disability but not fear of movement are associated with altered cervical kinematics in people with acute neck pain following a whiplash injury

To determine if measures of cervical kinematics are altered in people with acute whiplash associated disorders (WAD) and secondarily, to examine whether kinematic variables are associated with self-reported outcomes. We recruited people with acute WAD within 15 days after a motor vehicle collision and asymptomatic control participants. All participants performed active neck movements at a self-determined velocity. Maximal range of motion (ROM), peak and mean velocity of movement, smoothness of movement, and cervical joint position error were assessed. Moreover, self-reported measures of perceived pain and disability, pain catastrophising, and fear of movement were obtained. Sixty people participated: 18 with acute WAD (mean age [SD] 38.7 [12.0]) and 42 as asymptomatic controls (mean age [SD] 38.4 [10.2]). Participants with acute WAD showed significantly decreased ROM in all movement directions (p