EFFICACY OF PRESSURE-BIOFEEDBACK GUIDED DEEP CERVICAL FLEXOR TRAINING ON NECK PAIN AND MUSCLE PERFORMANCE IN VISUAL DISPLAY TERMINAL OPERATORS

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (03) ◽  
pp. 1350011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Nezamuddin ◽  
Shahnawaz Anwer ◽  
Sohrab Ahmad Khan ◽  
Ameed Equebal

Purpose: This randomized trial study compared the efficacy of pressure-biofeedback guided deep cervical flexor training as an adjunct with conventional exercise on pain and muscle performance in visually displayed terminal operators. Methods: A total of 50 (22 men and 28 women) patients with neck pain participated in the study. Patients were randomly placed into two groups: a biofeedback group (n = 25) and a control group (n = 25). The biofeedback group received pressure-biofeedback guided deep cervical flexor training program for 5 days a week for 6 weeks, whereas the control group received an exercise program only. Results: On intergroup comparisons, the deep cervical flexor performance in biofeedback group, at the end of 6th week was significantly higher than those of control group (p < 0.01). Pain intensity was also significantly reduced in biofeedback group when compared to control group at the end of trial (p < 0.004). Conclusion: The addition of pressure-biofeedback to a 6-week conventional program appeared to increase deep cervical flexor muscle performance, compared to the exercise program alone for people with reduced muscle performance.

Author(s):  
Divya Jain ◽  
Swapna Jawade ◽  
Neha Chitale

Background: "Text neck" is a term coined to describe the posture created by leaning forward for lengthy periods of time, such as when reading and texting on a cellphone which has been linked to stress injuries. Neck pain, upper back discomfort, shoulder pain, frequent headaches, and greater curvature of the spine are all dangerous indications of text neck. According to a survey, 35% of smartphone users suffer from text neck syndrome. People between the ages of 15 and 18 are more likely to have neck pain. This protocol has been created that describes the design of comparative study to evaluate effectiveness of progressive resisted exercise along with conventional exercise and conventional exercise program alone in text neck syndrome. Methods: The participants (n=80) will be recruited in the study suffering from text neck syndrome and meeting the inclusion criteria. Two groups will be formed such that patients in group A will be treated with conventional therapy and group B will be treated with progressive resisted exercise (PRE) along with conventional therapy. The protocol will cover 4 weeks of treatment. In the rehabilitation period, we will evaluate the pain intensity, strength of neck muscles and functional activity. Our outcome measures will be- Numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) and Neck disability index (NDI). Discussion: Efficacy of the intervention will be evaluated by analyzing the pain intensity by using Numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) and level of functional disability by using Neck disability index (NDI). The result of the study will significantly provide affirmation on either using combination therapy of PRE with conventional exercise or conventional exercise alone.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravi Shankar Reddy ◽  
Jaya Shanker Tedla ◽  
Snehil Dixit ◽  
Mohammed Abohashrh

Abstract Background Cervical proprioception is critical in the maintenance of posture and movements, so its assessment in different cervical conditions has gained importance in recent clinical practice. Studies reporting this assessment in subjects with cervical spondylosis (CS) have not previously been investigated. The goals of the study are (1) comparison of joint position error (JPE) in subjects with CS to healthy control group. (2) Correlation of neck pain intensity to cervical proprioception in patients with CS. Methods In a Cross-sectional study, 132 subjects with CS and 132 healthy age-matched control subjects were evaluated for cervical JPE with the cervical range of motion device. The subjects were blindfolded and repositioned their heads to a target position, which was determined by the examiner previously and their repositioning accuracy (absolute error in degrees) was measured in the frontal (flexion and extension) and transverse planes (left rotation and right rotation). The CS subjects resting neck pain intensity was assessed using visual analog scale (VAS). Results CS subjects showed statistically significantly larger JPEs compared to healthy control subjects in all the directions tested (flexion - 95% CI = 2.38–3.55, p < 0.001, extension - 95% CI =3.26–4.33, p < 0.001, left rotation - 95% CI = 2.64 - 3.83, p < 0.001, right rotation − 95% CI = 3.77–4.76, p < 0.001). The mean JPE errors in the CS group ranged from 6.27° to 8.28° and in the control group ranged from 2.36° to 4.48°. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed a significant and positive relationship between neck pain intensity and cervical proprioception (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions Proprioception is impaired in subjects with CS when compared to healthy control group. Higher pain intensity was associated with greater cervical JPE in patients with CS.


2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (4) ◽  
pp. 408-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Falla ◽  
Gwendolen Jull ◽  
Trevor Russell ◽  
Bill Vicenzino ◽  
Paul Hodges

Background and PurposePoor sitting posture has been implicated in the development and perpetuation of neck pain symptoms. This study had 2 purposes: (1) to compare change in cervical and thoracic posture during a distracting task between subjects with chronic neck pain and control subjects and (2) to compare the effects of 2 different neck exercise regimens on the ability of people with neck pain to maintain an upright cervical and thoracic posture during this task.SubjectsFifty-eight subjects with chronic, nonsevere neck pain and 10 control subjects participated in the study.MethodChange in cervical and thoracic posture from an upright posture was measured every 2 minutes during a 10-minute computer task. Following baseline measurements, the subjects with neck pain were randomized into one of two 6-week exercise intervention groups: a group that received training of the craniocervical flexor muscles or a group that received endurance-strength training of the cervical flexor muscles. The primary outcomes following intervention were changes in the angle of cervical and thoracic posture during the computer task.ResultsSubjects with neck pain demonstrated a change in cervical angle across the duration of the task (mean=4.4°; 95% confidence interval [CI]=3.3–5.4), consistent with a more forward head posture. No significant difference was observed for the change in cervical angle across the duration of the task for the control group subjects (mean=2.2°; 95% CI=1.0–3.4). Following intervention, the craniocervical flexor training group demonstrated a significant reduction in the change of cervical angle across the duration of the computer task.Discussion and ConclusionThis study showed that people with chronic neck pain demonstrate a reduced ability to maintain an upright posture when distracted. Following intervention with an exercise program targeted at training the craniocervical flexor muscles, subjects with neck pain demonstrated an improved ability to maintain a neutral cervical posture during prolonged sitting.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-141
Author(s):  
Karolina Wiaderna ◽  
Monika Selegrat ◽  
Anna Hadamus

Background. The prevalence of neck pain is on the increase. A sedentary life style, poor ergonomics in the workplace and in daily life, and stress all contribute to neck overload. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a single session of a Fascial Distortion Model (FDM) intervention combined with foam rolling in patients with cervical spine overload. Material and methods. The study enrolled 90 patients, who were randomized to an FDM group, a foam rolling group (who exercised with a Duoball against a wall) and a control group, of 30 patients each. Mobility was measured with a digital inclinometer, pain intensity was assessed with a VAS scale and (upper and middle) trapezius tone was evaluated by sEMG. These measurements were carried out twice in each group and analysed in Matlab and Statistica 13. Results. Both groups subjected to a therapeutic intervention (FDM and foam rolling) reported a significant reduction in neck pain intensity and improved cervical spine mobility (p<0.01). The control group did not demonstrate changes in mobility or pain intensity. The resting trapezius tone did not change in any of the groups. Conclusions, 1. A single session of FDM therapy can effectively reduce and eliminate cervical spine pain, which may be of use in work-site rehabilitation. 2. Single sessions of FDM and foam rolling can effectively improve neck mobility in patients with cervical spine overload. 3. There is a rationale for conducting further prospective randomized studies of larger samples to assess the duration of the beneficial effects of both therapies and determine an optimum session frequency.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Ahmad H. Alghadir ◽  
Zaheen A. Iqbal

Background. Teaching is one of the professions where incidence and prevalence of neck pain is high. Prolonged use of computers, which has further increased due to online teaching amid pandemic, is known to cause neck pain and alter posture, while people with forward head posture (FHP) are prone to develop neck pain and related disability. Research has shown that impairment of deep cervical flexor (DCF) muscles leads to insufficiency in coordination, activation, overload, and poor support on cervical structures that further lead to development of neck pain and altered neck posture. The objective of this study was to see the effect of DCF muscle training using pressure biofeedback on pain and FHP in school teachers with neck pain. Methods. This observational study was conducted at medical center in school premises. Fifty-five school teachers aged between 25 and 40 years with experience of more than 5 years were invited to participate in this study. Subjects were divided in two groups. Both the groups received conventional exercises while in experimental group DCF muscle training using pressure biofeedback was given additionally. Pain and FHP were assessed using NPRS and cranio-vertebral angle using digital photograph technique, respectively, at baseline and end of four weeks of treatment. Results. Although pain and FHP improved in both the groups, mean improvement in both the measures was more in the group that also received DCF training using pressure biofeedback. Conclusions. This study shows that although pain and FHP improved following conventional exercises in school teachers with neck pain, mean improvement was more significant among those who received additional DCF muscle training using pressure biofeedback.


2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
pp. 556-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaun P O'Leary ◽  
Bill T Vicenzino ◽  
Gwendolen A Jull

Abstract Background and Purpose. A new method of dynamometry has been developed to measure the performance of the craniocervical (CC) flexor muscles by recording the torque that these muscles exert on the cranium around the CC junction. This report describes the method, the specifications of the instrument, and the preliminary reliability data. Subjects and Methods. For the reliability study, 20 subjects (12 subjects with a history of neck pain, 8 subjects without a history of neck pain) performed, on 2 occasions, maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) tests of CC flexion in 3 positions within the range of CC flexion and submaximal sustained tests (20% and 50% of MVIC) in the middle range of CC flexion (craniocervical neutral position). Reliability coefficients were calculated to establish the test-retest reliability of the measurements. Results. The method demonstrated good reliability over 2 sessions in the measurement of MVIC (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]=.79–.93, SEM=0.6–1.4 N·m) and in the measurement of steadiness (standard deviation of torque amplitude) of a sustained contraction at 20% of MVIC (ICC=.74–.80, SEM=0.01 N·m), but not at 50% of MVIC (ICC=.07–.76, SEM=0.04–0.13 N·m). Discussion and Conclusion. The new dynamometry method appears to have potential clinical application in the measurement of craniocervical flexor muscle performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (10) ◽  
pp. 1671-1677

Objective: To identify the cause of excessive blinking in apparently healthy children, and to evaluate its association with visual activities including visual display terminal use. Material and Methods: The present study was a descriptive cross-sectional case-control study included 200 children aged 6 to 14 years with chief complaints of excessive blinking (study group) and routine eye check-up visits (control group). All participants underwent a complete eye examination including blink rate and tear break-up time measurement. Parents were asked to answer questionnaires regarding tic disorder and duration of visual activities. Results: One hundred children in the study group (mean age 7.9±2.0 years) and 100 children in the control group (mean age 9.5±2.3 years) were enrolled. Participants in the study group were predominantly male (77% versus 44%) and had a higher blink rate (30 versus 9 blinks/minute) compared to the control group. In the study group, there was a significantly higher percentage of participants diagnosed with dry eyes (73% versus 6%, p<0.001), allergic conjunctivitis (41% versus 0%, p<0.001) and tic disorder (19% versus 9%, p 0.042) than in the control group. One third of the participants in the study group had mixed diagnoses of dry eyes and allergic conjunctivitis. There was no significant difference in the duration of visual activities including visual display terminal use between groups. Conclusion: Excessive blinking occurred more commonly in boys. The most common associated disorders with excessive blinking in children were dry eyes, followed by allergic conjunctivitis and tic disorder. There was no association between excessive blinking in children and duration of visual display terminal use. Keywords: Blinking; Excessive blinking; Dry eyes; Visual display terminal


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