NDI · 4 minutes
Neck pain disability (Neck Disability Index)
Ten everyday activities — pain intensity, personal care, lifting, reading, headache, concentration, work, driving, sleeping, recreation. Result is expressed as percent disability and informs the choice between conservative care, injection therapy, or surgical evaluation.
Pain intensity
Educational tool — not a diagnosis. Neck Disability Index (NDI), Vernon & Mior 1991. Most widely cited functional measure in cervical spine outcomes research.
Frequently asked
Plain-language answers about neck pain, this screener, and what evaluation costs at a Class A hospital in China.
- What's a typical NDI score for needing surgery?
- NDI ≥ 30% with imaging-confirmed structural cause (disc herniation with radiculopathy, myelopathy, instability) plus failure of conservative care is a typical surgical-eligibility threshold. Myelopathic features (gait disturbance, hand clumsiness, hyperreflexia) lower the threshold considerably.
- What does cervical spine surgery cost in China?
- Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) at a Class A spine centre is typically USD 7,500–14,000 all-in. Cervical disc arthroplasty: USD 12,000–18,000. Posterior decompression: USD 6,500–11,500. Compares to USD 30,000–80,000 US private rates.
- Conservative options to try first?
- Structured physiotherapy, NSAIDs, muscle relaxants for short courses, and selective cervical epidural injection in radicular cases. Pain medicine / physiatry block at a Class A international department: USD 400–800 for a 6-session programme.
About this screener
Neck Disability Index (NDI), Vernon & Mior 1991. Most widely cited functional measure in cervical spine outcomes research.
What this screener covers
- Cervical disc disorder(ICD-10 M50)
- Cervicalgia(ICD-10 M54.2)
Validated source
Medical review
Reviewed by Panda Touring Care medical team (Orthopaedics coordinator review) · last reviewed 2025-04-01
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