A Bibliometric Analysis of Research Trends in Neck Pain from 2000 to 2025

Abstract

Objective: This paper conducts a bibliometric analysis of the literature on neck pain research from 2000 to 2025, aiming to comprehensively and systematically understand the research landscape, hotspots, and frontier trends in this field, providing a reference for future research directions. Methods: Data were sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection, with the search term TI = “neck pain,” covering the time span from 2000 to 2025, resulting in 2746 articles. Software such as CiteSpace V6.3.R1 and VOSviewer 1.6.20 was used to analyze publication volume, countries, authors, institutions, keywords, and co-citation networks. Results: The number of publications in neck pain research has been increasing year by year, indicating a rising level of research activity. Authors like Falla, D, Jull, G, and institutions such as Univ Queensland and Univ Toronto have significant influence in this field. Co-occurrence analysis of keywords shows that “neck pain,” “low back pain,” and “disability index” are high-frequency keywords, reflecting research hotspots such as the characteristics and treatment of neck pain and its interrelation with pain in other regions. Timeline analysis and keyword emergence analysis reveal the frontiers and development trends in this field, such as the growing attention on emerging therapeutic methods like “exercise therapy” and “dry needling,” while keywords like “intensity,” “individuals,” and “quality” indicate an increasing emphasis on personalization, precision, and quality control in the treatment process. Conclusion: The field of neck pain research is continuously expanding and deepening. Future research should further investigate the pathogenesis of neck pain, its associations with other conditions, the refinement of assessment methods, and the development of innovative rehabilitation strategies. Emphasis should also be placed on interdisciplinary collaboration to provide more robust theoretical foundations and practical guidance for the clinical treatment and rehabilitation management of neck pain.