Abstract
Background: Patients with neck pain often report difficulty with moving the neck fully, quickly and accurately relating to functional tasks such as driving, for example, reversing and performing shoulder checks. It is not known whether self-reported difficulty with neck motion is related to objective measures of neck kinematics.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine any relationships between self reported difficulty in moving the head fully, quickly and accurately to altered kinematics. A secondary aim was to determine other factors that might be associated with altered kinematics and self reported difficulty with neck motion such as level of dizziness, visual disturbances, pain and fear of neck motion in people with neck pain.
Methods: Kinematics were measured in 70 subjects with chronic neck pain using a customized virtual reality system. Range of cervical motion, mean velocity and accuracy in the sagittal and horizontal plane were derived. Correlations between these measures to self-reported difficulty with moving the neck fully, quickly and accurately as well as levels of pain (neck pain intensity, disability, pain on movement), fear of motion, dizziness, and visual disturbances were conducted.
Results: Self reported difficulty with neck motion was significantly mildly correlated only to range of motion kinematics (r = 0.32−0.39). Self reported difficulty with neck motion was significantly moderately correlated to pain on movement (r = 0.41−0.45), and mildly correlated to neck pain and disability, age and fear of motion (r = 0.24−0.42). Selected neck kinematics were significantly moderately correlated to age (r = 0.4−0.44), and mildly correlated to pain on movement and fear of movement (r = 0.3−0.41).
Conclusion: Self reported difficulty moving the neck fully, quickly and accurately does not seem to relate well to kinematic deficits. However, self reported difficulty with neck motion and kinematics seem to have some relationship to pain during movement and fear of motion.
Implications: Assessment and management directed towards cervical kinmeatics may be important regardless of whether or not the patient complains of difficulty moving the head fully, quickly and accurately. Future research should consider the effects of addressing the above factors that appear to relate to these functional complaints and neck kinematics and vice versa to aid functional recovery in those with neck pain.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine any relationships between self reported difficulty in moving the head fully, quickly and accurately to altered kinematics. A secondary aim was to determine other factors that might be associated with altered kinematics and self reported difficulty with neck motion such as level of dizziness, visual disturbances, pain and fear of neck motion in people with neck pain.
Methods: Kinematics were measured in 70 subjects with chronic neck pain using a customized virtual reality system. Range of cervical motion, mean velocity and accuracy in the sagittal and horizontal plane were derived. Correlations between these measures to self-reported difficulty with moving the neck fully, quickly and accurately as well as levels of pain (neck pain intensity, disability, pain on movement), fear of motion, dizziness, and visual disturbances were conducted.
Results: Self reported difficulty with neck motion was significantly mildly correlated only to range of motion kinematics (r = 0.32−0.39). Self reported difficulty with neck motion was significantly moderately correlated to pain on movement (r = 0.41−0.45), and mildly correlated to neck pain and disability, age and fear of motion (r = 0.24−0.42). Selected neck kinematics were significantly moderately correlated to age (r = 0.4−0.44), and mildly correlated to pain on movement and fear of movement (r = 0.3−0.41).
Conclusion: Self reported difficulty moving the neck fully, quickly and accurately does not seem to relate well to kinematic deficits. However, self reported difficulty with neck motion and kinematics seem to have some relationship to pain during movement and fear of motion.
Implications: Assessment and management directed towards cervical kinmeatics may be important regardless of whether or not the patient complains of difficulty moving the head fully, quickly and accurately. Future research should consider the effects of addressing the above factors that appear to relate to these functional complaints and neck kinematics and vice versa to aid functional recovery in those with neck pain.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | e12 |
| Journal | Musculoskeletal Science and Practice |
| Volume | 28 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2017 |