Neck Disability Index

Clinical intent

The Neck Disability Index (NDI) is a modification of the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Index. It's a patient-completed, condition-specific functional status questionnaire with 10 items including pain, personal care, lifting, reading, headaches, concentration, work, driving, sleeping and recreation[1].

The NDI can be used to evaluate the patients status presence and to evaluate the evolution during the therapy

Calculation

• Each section is scored on a 0 to 5 rating scale, in which zero means 'No pain' and 5 means 'Worst imaginable pain'.
• Points summed to a total score.
• The raw score is then multiplied by 2 to achieve a percentage score on 100.

Clinical interpretation

• 0 points or 0% means no activity limitations
• 50 points or 100% means complete activity limitation.
• Thus, a higher score indicates more patient-rated disability.

References

[1] Macdermid JC, Walton DM, Avery S, Blanchard A, Etruw E, McAlpine C, Goldsmith CH. Measurement properties of the neck disability index a sustematic review Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy. 2009 May;39(5):400-17.
[2] NDI developed by: Vernon, H. & Mior, S. (1991). The Neck Disability Index: https://www.sralab.org/rehabilitation-measures/neck-disability-index. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 14, 409-415 Available from:https://www.sralab.org/rehabilitation-measures/neck-disability-index (last accessed 1.5.2020)