Home / Health & Fitness / Neck Disability Index

Neck Disability Index

Answer 10 standardized questions about how neck pain affects daily life and get your NDI score with a severity classification.

Use the Neck Disability Index

NDI Questionnaire

Select one answer per section that best describes your situation today.

Section 1 — Pain Intensity

I have no pain at the moment. The pain is very mild at the moment. The pain is moderate at the moment. The pain is fairly severe at the moment. The pain is very severe at the moment. The pain is the worst imaginable at the moment.

Section 2 — Personal Care (Washing, Dressing, etc.)

I can look after myself normally without causing extra pain. I can look after myself normally but it causes extra pain. It is painful to look after myself and I am slow and careful. I need some help but manage most of my personal care. I need help every day in most aspects of self care. I do not get dressed, wash with difficulty and stay in bed.

Section 3 — Lifting

I can lift heavy weights without extra pain. I can lift heavy weights but it gives extra pain. Pain prevents me from lifting heavy weights off the floor, but I can if they are conveniently positioned. Pain prevents me from lifting heavy weights, but I can manage light to medium weights. I can only lift very light weights. I cannot lift or carry anything at all.

Section 4 — Reading

I can read as much as I want with no pain in my neck. I can read as much as I want with slight pain in my neck. I can read as much as I want with moderate pain in my neck. I cannot read as much as I want because of moderate pain in my neck. I can hardly read at all because of severe pain in my neck. I cannot read at all.

Section 5 — Headaches

I have no headaches at all. I have slight headaches which come infrequently. I have moderate headaches which come infrequently. I have moderate headaches which come frequently. I have severe headaches which come frequently. I have headaches almost all the time.

Section 6 — Concentration

I can concentrate fully when I want to with no difficulty. I can concentrate fully when I want to with slight difficulty. I have a fair degree of difficulty in concentrating when I want to. I have a lot of difficulty in concentrating when I want to. I have a great deal of difficulty in concentrating when I want to. I cannot concentrate at all.

Section 7 — Work

I can do as much work as I want to. I can only do my usual work, but no more. I can do most of my usual work, but no more. I cannot do my usual work. I can hardly do any work at all. I cannot do any work at all.

Section 8 — Driving

I can drive my car without any neck pain. I can drive my car as long as I want with slight pain in my neck. I can drive my car as long as I want with moderate pain in my neck. I cannot drive my car as long as I want because of moderate pain in my neck. I can hardly drive at all because of severe pain in my neck. I cannot drive my car at all.

Section 9 — Sleeping

I have no trouble sleeping. My sleep is slightly disturbed (less than 1 hour sleepless). My sleep is mildly disturbed (1–2 hours sleepless). My sleep is moderately disturbed (2–3 hours sleepless). My sleep is greatly disturbed (3–5 hours sleepless). My sleep is completely disturbed (5–7 hours sleepless).

Section 10 — Recreation

I am able to engage in all recreational activities with no neck pain at all. I am able to engage in all recreational activities with some pain in my neck. I am able to engage in most, but not all, usual recreational activities because of pain in my neck. I am only able to engage in a few of my usual recreational activities because of pain in my neck. I can hardly do any recreational activities because of pain in my neck. I cannot do any recreational activities at all.

Sections answered 0 / 10

Please answer all 10 sections before calculating.

Your NDI Result

Complete all 10 sections to see your score.

out of 50 | --%

Score Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

Range % Classification

0–4 0–8% No disability

5–14 10–28% Mild disability

15–24 30–48% Moderate disability

25–34 50–68% Severe disability

35–50 70–100% Complete disability

Section Breakdown

This tool is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment.

Summary

The Neck Disability Index (NDI) is a validated 10-item self-report questionnaire that measures how neck pain affects a patient's ability to perform everyday activities. Each item is scored 0–5, giving a total out of 50 (or converted to a percentage). It is widely used by clinicians and researchers to assess initial disability and track treatment progress.

How it works

Read each of the 10 sections describing a daily activity affected by neck pain.
Select the statement that best describes your situation today.
Each answer is scored from 0 (no difficulty) to 5 (complete inability).
Click "Calculate Score" to sum all responses and view the total.
Review the severity classification and percentage score.
Print or record the result to share with your healthcare provider.

Use cases

Assess initial neck disability before starting physiotherapy.
Track improvement over a treatment course with repeated scoring.
Support clinical documentation and outcome measurement.
Research studies measuring functional neck disability.
Pre- and post-surgical outcome assessment.
Patient self-screening before a clinic appointment.
Occupational health assessments for desk-based workers.
Compare individual scores against published population norms.

Frequently Asked Questions

The NDI is a 10-question validated questionnaire developed by Howard Vernon in 1991. It measures how neck pain limits activities such as personal care, lifting, reading, work, driving, and sleep. Each item scores 0–5 for a maximum of 50 points.

0–4 = No disability; 5–14 = Mild disability; 15–24 = Moderate disability; 25–34 = Severe disability; 35–50 = Complete disability. Scores can also be expressed as a percentage by doubling the raw score.

No. This calculator is for informational purposes only. The NDI is a self-report measure and should be interpreted by a qualified healthcare professional in the context of a full clinical assessment.

All 10 sections should ideally be completed. If one section is skipped, multiply your total by 50/(5 × answered sections). This calculator requires all 10 answers for an accurate result.

Clinicians typically administer the NDI at baseline and then every 4–6 weeks during treatment to monitor progress. A reduction of 5 or more points is generally considered a clinically meaningful improvement.

Yes — "Neck Disability Index" and "Neck Pain Disability Index" refer to the same validated instrument. The abbreviation NDI is universally used in clinical and research literature.

On this page

Summary How it works Use cases FAQ

Related tools

Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) Calculator BASDAI Spondylitis Score Calculator BMI Calculator Harris Hip Score Calculator