Somatization is associated with worse outcome in a chiropractic patient population with neck pain and low back pain

•Chiropractic patients do not present with complicated psychological profiles.•Outcome measures in this study are pain, functional status and perceived recovery.•Somatization was associated with worse outcome in patients with neck pain.•Somatization was also associated with worse outcome in patients with LBP.•Depression is only associated with decreased functional status for patients with LBP.