Cervical pain severity and symptoms distribution in association with Body Mass Index: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22317/jcms.v12i1.2084Keywords:
Neck Pain, Body Mass Index, Visual Analog Scale, Pain Measurement, IraqAbstract
Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and the severity of neck pain, with or without radiculopathy, as an independent risk factor. BMI was analyzed as a continuous variable without categorization in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of cervical pathology.
Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included data from 272 patients who presented to three separate private clinics in the two major Iraqi cities of Babylon and Kerbala. Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Associations were examined using simple linear regression, multivariate regression analysis, and Spearman correlation.
Results: The mean body mass index was 27.1 kg/m², and the median VAS score for neck pain was 6. A significant association was identified between BMI and neck pain severity, with each one-unit increase in BMI corresponding to a 0.094-point increase in VAS score (β = 0.094, p = 0.006). No significant association was observed between BMI and radicular arm pain (r = 0.07, p > 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that BMI remained a statistically significant independent predictor of cervical pain severity.
Conclusion: Higher BMI was significantly associated with greater severity of axial neck pain but not with radicular arm pain. These findings suggest that metabolic-inflammatory mechanisms may contribute to axial neck pain, whereas radiculopathy appears to be more strongly related to mechanical nerve root compression. BMI should therefore be considered a modifiable risk factor in the management of chronic cervical pain.
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