Minimum detectable and minimal clinically important changes for pain in patients with nonspecific neck pain

Description: Minimum detectable and minimal clinically important changes for pain in patients with nonspecific neck pain Francisco M Kovacs , Victor Abraira , Ana Royuela , Josep Corcoll , Luis Alegre , Miquel Tomas , Maria Antonia Mir , Alejandra Cano , Alfonso Muriel , Javier Zamora , Maria Teresa Gil del Real , Mario Gestoso and Nicole Mufraggi BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2008, 9:43 Abstract & link to free full text
Conclusions In general, improvements equal to or less than 1.5 PI-NRS points could be seen as irrelevant. Above that value, the cutoff point for clinical relevance depends on the methods used to estimate minimal clinically important changes (MCIC) and on the patient's baseline severity of pain. Minimal detectable change (MDC) and MCIC values in neck pain patients are similar to those for low back pain and other painful conditions.