SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to verify the correlation between tactile acuity, intensity of pain at rest, and movement and functional capacity in individuals with chronic neck pain. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study composed of two groups: individuals with chronic neck pain and individuals without neck pain. Evaluations were performed using the Numerical Rating Pain Scale at rest and movement, Neck Disability Index, and two-point discrimination test. RESULTS: The final sample consisted of 100 volunteers, 50 in each group. The groups did not show significant differences (p>0.05) in personal characteristics. It was observed that volunteers with cervical pain presented alterations in tactile care, with a significant and clinical increase in the perceived distance (Median 6.66; 95%CI 6.29-7.02; Cohen’s d 7.22; 95%CI 6.15-8.30), and yet, positive, moderate, and significant correlation between two-point discrimination test, intensity of pain at rest and movement, and neck disability index (r=0.778-0.789, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Tactile acuity is associated with pain intensity at rest and movement and functional capacity in individuals with chronic neck pain.

BACKGROUND: The original structure of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) has been contested in several languages. OBJECTIVE: To assess the structural validity of the Brazilian version of WOMAC among patients with knee osteoarthritis. DESIGN AND SETTING: Structural validity study conducted at physiotherapy clinics and primary healthcare units. METHODS: The study included males and females aged 40 to 80 years who were all native Brazilian Portuguese speakers, with knee pain in the previous six months and a diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis. We used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with implementation of a polychoric matrix and the robust diagonally weighted least squares (RDWLS) extraction method. The adequacy of the model was assessed using the following fit indices: root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), comparative fit index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) and chi-square/degree of freedom (DF). RESULTS: 203 patients with knee osteoarthritis were included. The model proposed in this study with two factors, i.e. “pain” (items 1, 2, 3 and 4) and “physical function” (items 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21 and 22), showed adequate fit indices in CFA: chi-square/DF = 1.30; CFI = 0.976; TLI = 0.970; RMSEA = 0.039; and SRMR = 0.070. The factorial loads ranged from 0.68 to 0.76 for the “pain” domain and 0.44 to 0.62 for the “physical function” domain. CONCLUSION: The Brazilian version of WOMAC with two domains, i.e. “pain” (four items) and “physical function” (eight items), presents the best structure.