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Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the MTU group (n = 90) and PT group (n = 91)
| Variable | MTU (n = 90) | PT (n = 91) |
|---|---|---|
| Age (in years, mean; SD) | 49.2 (12.4) | 48.7 (12.6) |
| Gender female (n; %) | 56 (62.2) | 56 (61.5) |
| First time neck complaints (n; %) | 56 (62.2) | 58 (63.7) |
| 3 or more musculoskeletal complaints | 54 (60.0) | 55 (59.8) |
| 4 or more musculoskeletal complaints | 27 (30.0) | 26 (28.3) |
| Combined neck and back pain | 15 (16.7) | 16 (17.4) |
| Last Year visit GP for neck complaints (n; %) | 23 (25.6) | 26 (28.6) |
| Last Year visit any therapist for neck (n; %) | 17 (18.9) | 20 (22.0) |
| Main complaints (n; %) | ||
| Pain | 79 (87.8) | 80 (87.9) |
| Stiffness | 30 (33.3) | 38 (41.8) |
| Mobility impairment | 33 (36.7) | 37 (40.7) |
| Other | 7 (7.8) | 10 (11.0) |
| Complain intensity (NRS 0–10) | ||
| Main complaint (mean; SD) | 6.9 (1.3) | 6.8 (1.4) |
| Second complaint (mean; SD) | 6.0 (1.6) | 5.9 (1.8) |
| Third complaint (mean; SD) | 5.1 (2.1) | 5.3 (2.0) |
| NDI (0–50) (mean; SD) | ||
| 12.5 (6.8) | 11.7 (5.4) | |
| NRS pain (0–10) (mean; SD) | ||
| 5.5 (2.0) | 5.8 (1.8) | |
| FABQ (mean; SD) | ||
| Total (0–96) | 30.0 (16.4) | 29.6 (15.1) |
| Subscale work (0–66) | 14.7 (13.5) | 14.8 (12.3) |
| Subscale physical activity (0–30) | 15.3 (5.4) | 14.8 (5.7) |
| SF-36 (mean; SD) | ||
| Physical component summary (0–100) | 44.6 (7.9) | 44.6 (7.1) |
| Mental component summary (0–100) | 46.4 (12.5) | 47.2 (10.0) |
| CEQ (mean; SD) | ||
| Credibility (0–27) | 22.0 (3.4) | 22.4 (3.2) |
| Expectancy (0–27) | 21.9 (4.8) | 22.1 (4.7) |
| Intervention preference (n; %) | ||
| None | 61 (67.8) | 63 (69.2) |
| Manual therapy | 20 (22.2) | 20 (22.0) |
| Physical therapy | 9 (10.0) | 8 (8.8) |
| Pre-stratification | ||
| A. NRS main complaint ≤ 6, age ≤ 39 | 5 | 6 |
| B. NRS main complaint ≤ 6, age ≥ 40 | 23 | 23 |
| C. NRS main complaint ≥ 7, age ≤ 39 | 16 | 16 |
| D. NRS main complaint ≥ 7, age ≥ 40 | 46 | 46 |
