Background:
Neck pain and whiplash disorders are common causes of pain and disability. Current clinical practice guidelines recommend selected pharmacological treatments, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, paracetamol, opioids, muscle relaxants, corticosteroids, antidepressants and other adjuvant agents. However, many recommendations are based on low-quality evidence, expert consensus, or evidence derived from broader musculoskeletal pain populations.
Objective:
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of pharmacological treatments compared with placebo for adults with non-specific neck pain or whiplash disorders.
Methods:
Eligible interventions include oral, topical, injectable, transdermal or intravenous pharmacological treatments intended to reduce pain. The comparator is placebo only. The primary outcome is self-reported pain severity measured on a continuous scale. Secondary outcomes include physical function, quality of life, adverse events and serious adverse events. Outcomes were extracted at short term, medium term and long term, defined as 0–7 days, >7 days to ≤3 months, and >3 months after randomization, respectively. Meta-analysis or narrative analysis will be chosen according to condition. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool, and certainty of evidence will be assessed using GRADE.
Results and conclusion:
A total of 9657 records were screened, and 141 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Thirty-five studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Data extraction and risk of bias is in progress. The outcomes will provide an updated synthesis of evidence on pharmacological treatments for neck pain and whiplash disorders.