A preliminary biopsychosocial analysis of online information on causes of neck pain

Objective: The aim of the present study was to analyse the freely available online information on the causes of neck pain based on the biopsychosocial model of pain.

Methods: A preliminary biopsychosocial analysis tool was developed, after an extensive literature review of the pathoanatomical and psychosocial contributors for neck pain. The websites that commonly appeared after the search term "causes of neck pain" in the first two pages of the search engines (Google, Yahoo and Bing) were selected for the biopsychosocial analysis. In addition, the websites were reviewed for Health on Net (HON) certification.

Results: Ten websites were analysed, of which eight were identified to contain a predominant biomedical orientation, as they reported only the pathoanatomical causes of neck pain. The remaining two websites were determined to represent limited psychosocial information and described only two psychological contributors to the neck pain.

Conclusions: The online information on the causes of neck pain appears to contain limited biopsychosocial orientation. Further detailed analysis is essential to obtain firm conclusions on the content validity of online information on neck pain.