scholarly journals Intra- and inter-rater reliability of neutral head position and target head position tests in patients with and without neck pain

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 259-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid Alahmari ◽  
Ravi Shankar Reddy ◽  
Paul Silvian ◽  
Irshad Ahmad ◽  
Venkat Nagaraj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neck Pain ◽  
Head Position ◽  
Rater Reliability

scholarly journals Influence of Axial Load and a 45-Degree Flexion Head Position on Cervical Spinal Stiffness in Healthy Young Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Léonie Hofstetter ◽  
Melanie Häusler ◽  
Petra Schweinhardt ◽  
Ursula Heggli ◽  
Denis Bron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Spine ◽  
Neck Pain ◽  
Axial Load ◽  
Head Position ◽  
Good Reliability ◽  
Head Posture ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Spinal Stiffness ◽  
Proxy Measure ◽  
High Cervical

Background: Neck pain is a major cause of disability worldwide. Poor neck posture such as using a smartphone or work-related additional cervical axial load, such headgear of aviators, can cause neck pain. This study aimed at investigating the role of head posture or additional axial load on spinal stiffness, a proxy measure to assess cervical motor control.Methods: The posterior-to-anterior cervical spinal stiffness of 49 young healthy male military employees [mean (SD) age 20 ± 1 years] was measured in two head positions: neutral and 45-degree flexed head position and two loading conditions: with and without additional 3 kg axial load. Each test condition comprised three trials. Measurements were taken at three cervical locations, i.e., spinous processes C2 and C7 and mid-cervical (MC).Results: Cervical spinal stiffness measurements showed good reliability in all test conditions. There was a significant three-way interaction between location × head position × load [F(2, 576) = 9.305, p < 0.001]. Significant two-way interactions were found between measurement locations × loading [F(2, 576) = 15.688, p < 0.001] and measurement locations × head position [F(2, 576) = 9.263, p < 0.001]. There was no significant interaction between loading × head position [F(1, 576) = 0.692, p = 0.406]. Post hoc analysis showed reduction of stiffness in all three measurement locations in flexion position. There was a decrease in stiffness in C2 with loading, increase in stiffness in C7 and no change in MC.Discussion: A flexed head posture leading to decreased stiffness of the cervical spine might contribute to neck pain, especially if the posture is prolonged and static, such as is the case with smartphone users. Regarding the additional load, stiffness decreased high cervical and increased low cervical. There was no change mid cervical. The lower spinal stiffness at the high cervical spine might be caused by capsular ligament laxity due to the buckling effect. At the lower cervical spine, the buckling effect seems to be less dominant, because the proximity to the ribs and sternum provide additional stiffness.

Inter-rater reliability of select physical examination procedures in patients with neck pain

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 345-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Hanney ◽  
Steven Z. George ◽  
Morey J. Kolber ◽  
Ian Young ◽  
Paul A. Salamh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neck Pain ◽  
Physical Examination ◽  
Rater Reliability

Involvement of cervical disability in migraine: a literature review

2020 ◽  
pp. 204946372092470
Author(s):  
Naoki Aoyama
Keyword(s):  
Neck Pain ◽  
Head Position ◽  
Main Question ◽  
Pathophysiological Mechanism ◽  
Pharmacologic Treatment ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Musculoskeletal Impairments ◽  
Cervicogenic Headaches ◽  
Heavy Loads ◽  
Cervical Rotation

Background: The trigeminal nerve theory has been proposed as a pathophysiological mechanism of migraine; however, its association with the triggers of migraine remains unclear. Cervical disability such as neck pain and restricted cervical rotation, have been associated with not only cervicogenic headaches but also migraine. The presence of cervical disability could worsen of the migraine, and also the response to pharmacologic treatment may be reduced. The aim in this review is to highlight the involvement of cervical disability in migraine, considering contributing factors. Findings: In recent years, evidence of neck pain complaints in migraine has been increasing. In addition, there is some recent evidence of cervical musculoskeletal impairments in migraine, as detected by physical assessment. However, the main question of whether neck pain or an associated cervical disability can act as an initial factor leading to migraine attacks still remains. Daily life imposes heavy loads on cervical structures (i.e. muscles, joints and ligaments), for instance, in the forward head position. The repetitive nociceptive stimulation initiating those cervical skeletal muscle positions may amplify the susceptibility to central migraine and contribute to chronicity via the trigeminal cervical complex. Conclusion: Further studies are needed to explain the association between cervical disability as a source of pain and the development of migraine. However, evidence suggests that cervical disability needs to be considered in the prevention and treatment of migraine.

scholarly journals Concurrent validity and reliability of measuring range of motion during the cervical flexion rotation test with a novel digital goniometer

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerstin Luedtke ◽  
Thomas Schoettker-Königer ◽  
Toby Hall ◽  
Christine Reimer ◽  
Maike Grassold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Spine ◽  
Neck Pain ◽  
Range Of Motion ◽  
Head And Neck ◽  
Concurrent Validity ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Upper Cervical Spine ◽  
Rater Reliability ◽  
Rotation Test ◽  
Upper Cervical

Abstract Background Headache is a common and costly health problem. Although the pathogenesis of headache is heterogeneous, reported contributing factors are dysfunctions of the upper cervical spine. The flexion rotation test (FRT) is a commonly used diagnostic test to detect upper cervical movement impairment. A digital goniometer may support precise measurement of movement impairment in the upper cervical spine. However, its reliability and validity is not assessed, yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the digital goniometer compared to an ultrasound-based movement analysis system. Methods Two separate cross-sectional studies were conducted using the digital goniometer EasyAngle (Meloq AB, Stockholm, Sweden) for a) investigating the concurrent validity of upper cervical range of motion (ROM) during the FRT and b) determining the inter- and intra-rater reliability in the target population of patients with head and neck pain. Sixty-two participants, 39 with and 23 without head and neck pain, were recruited for the concurrent validity study. For the reliability study, a total of 50 participants were recruited. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland Altmann plots were used to assess validity and ICC values, Bland Altmann plots as well as Kappa coefficients were used for estimating intra-rater and inter-rater reliability. Results Concurrent validity was strong with an ICC (2,1) of 0.97 for ROM to either side (95%CI = 0.95–0.98). Bland Altman Plots revealed a mean difference between measurement systems of 0.5° for the left and 0.11° for the right side. The inter-rater ICC (2,1) was 0.66 (95%CI 0.47–0.79, p <  0.001, SEM 6.6°), indicating good reliability. The limits of agreement were between 10.25° and − 11.89°, the mean difference between both raters was − 0.82°. Intra-rater reliability for the measurement of ROM during the FRT was between 0.96 (ICC 3,1) for rater 1 and 0.94 (ICC 3,1) for rater 2. Conclusions The digital goniometer demonstrated strong concurrent validity and good to strong reliability and can be used in clinical practice to accurately determine movement impairment in the upper cervical spine. Trial registration German Registry of Clinical Trials DRKS00013051.

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