The Effects of Thoracic Spine Self-mobilization Exercise Using a Tool on Pain, Range of Motion, and Dysfunction of Chronic Neck Pain Patients

BACKGROUND: The cranio-cervical flexion exercise and sub-occipital muscle inhibition technique have been used to improve a forward head posture among neck pain patients with straight leg raise (SLR) limitation. However, little is known about the cranio-vertebral angle (CVA) and cervical spine range of motion (CROM) after applying stretching methods to the hamstring muscle. OBJECTIVE: To compare the immediate effects of static stretching and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching on SLR, CVA, and CROM in neck pain patients with hamstring tightness. METHODS: 64 subjects were randomly allocated to the static stretching (n1= 32) or proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (n2= 32) stretching group. The SLR test was performed to measure the hamstring muscle’s flexibility and tightness between the two groups, with CROM and CVA also being measured. The paired t-test was used to compare all the variables within each group before and after the intervention. The independent t-test was used to compare the two groups before and after the stretching exercise. RESULTS: There were no between-group effects for any outcome variables (P> 0.05). However, all SLR, CVA, and CROM outcome variables were significantly improved within-group (P< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There were no between-group effects for any outcome variable; however, SLR, CVA, and CROM significantly improved within-group after the one-session intervention in neck pain patients with hamstring tightness.

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Effect of manual versus mechanically assisted manipulations of the thoracic spine in neck pain patients: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

Trials ◽

10.1186/s13063-015-0763-5 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Anke Langenfeld ◽

B. Kim Humphreys ◽

Rob A. de Bie ◽

Jaap Swanenburg

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Neck Pain ◽

Study Protocol ◽

Thoracic Spine ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Pain Patients

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Effectiveness of Thoracic Spine Manipulation in Conjunction with Cranial Base Release Technique on Pain and Range of Motion in Patients with Mechanical Neck Pain

Journal of Natural Science Biology and Medicine ◽

10.4103/jnsbm.jnsbm_60_20 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 93

Author(s):

RameshChandra Patra ◽

Biswajit Kanungo ◽

Sumiya Nazir ◽

Ancy Abraham

Keyword(s):

Neck Pain ◽

Range Of Motion ◽

Thoracic Spine ◽

Cranial Base ◽

Release Technique

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Correlation Between Skin Temperature Over Myofascial Trigger Points in the Upper Trapezius Muscle and Range of Motion, Electromyographic Activity, and Pain in Chronic Neck Pain Patients

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics ◽

10.1016/j.jmpt.2017.10.009 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 350-357 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Carlos Eduardo Girasol ◽

Almir Vieira Dibai-Filho ◽

Alessandra Kelly de Oliveira ◽

Rinaldo Roberto de Jesus Guirro

Keyword(s):

Neck Pain ◽

Skin Temperature ◽

Trapezius Muscle ◽

Chronic Neck Pain ◽

Trigger Points ◽

Electromyographic Activity ◽

Myofascial Trigger Points ◽

Upper Trapezius ◽

Upper Trapezius Muscle ◽

Pain Patients

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Examination of Regional Interdependence Theory in Chronic Neck Pain: Interpretations from Correlation of Strength Measures in Cervical and Pain-Free Regions

Pain Medicine ◽

10.1093/pm/pnz206 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Leila Ghamkhar ◽

Amir Massoud Arab ◽

Mohammad Reza Nourbakhsh ◽

Amir Hossein Kahlaee ◽

Reyhaneh Zolfaghari

Keyword(s):

Neck Pain ◽

Pain Intensity ◽

Neck Disability Index ◽

Chronic Neck Pain ◽

Pain Intensity Score ◽

Painful Condition ◽

Asymptomatic Volunteers ◽

Interdependence Theory ◽

Regional Interdependence ◽

Pain Patients

Abstract Objective Impairments present in chronic pain conditions have been reported not to be limited to the painful region. Pain-free regions have also been proposed to be adversely affected as a cause or consequence of the painful condition. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between muscle strength in painful and pain-free regions and chronic neck pain. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting Rehabilitation hospital laboratory. Subjects One hundred twenty-two patients with chronic neck pain (87 female) and 98 asymptomatic volunteers (52 female) were included in the study. Methods Maximal isometric strength measures of the neck, scapulothoracic, shoulder, trunk, and hip muscles were assessed using a hand-held dynamometer in all participants. Pain intensity and pain-related disability were also assessed in patients through visual analog scale and Neck Disability Index scores, respectively. Results Principal component analysis revealed one component for each of the studied regions. Multivariate analysis of variance found neck (d = 0.46), scapulothoracic (d = 0.46), shoulder (d = 0.60), trunk flexor (d = 0.38), extensor (d = 0.36), and hip (d = 0.51) strength components to be lower in the neck pain patients compared with asymptomatic participants (P < 0.01). Logistic and linear regression analyses found the shoulder strength component both to be a significant predictor for neck pain occurrence (β = 0.53, P < 0.01) and to have a considerable effect on pain intensity score (β=–0.20, P = 0.02), respectively. Conclusions The results found that some pain-free regions in addition to the cervical spine to exhibit lower levels of muscular strength in neck pain patients. These findings support the regional interdependence theory, which proposes that impairments are not limited to the painful area and are possibly mediated by central mechanisms.

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