Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Cervical range of motion and strength in 4,293 young male adults with chronic neck pain

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Spine Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The correlation of cervical biomechanics and neck pain in young patients has, to date, only been described in terms of small cohorts. This study focuses on the correlation of chronic neck pain and cervical biomechanics.

Methods

Neck pain, cervical range of motion (CROM) and maximal cervical torque were recorded in 746 patients with conservatively treated chronic neck pain and 3,547 participants of physiotherapy training without chronic neck pain aged 16–32 years.

Results

The “neck pain” group had a highly significant (s < 0.001) higher neck disability index (44.7 vs. 10.4 %), longer history of neck pain (3.47 vs. 0.59 years), higher pain intensity (VAS 5.93 vs. 0.93), higher pain frequency (VAS 6.98 vs. 1.09). No differences of CROM and maximal torque in the sagittal, frontal and transverse plane were found.

Conclusion

This study describes the largest cohort of biomechanical data of the cervical spine in young adult recorded to date. The findings demonstrate that no correlation was found between neck pain, CROM and maximal torque in the study cohort. On this basis, we conclude that the CROM and maximal cervical torque should not be used as indicators to measure the progress of chronic neck pain in physiotherapy training and sports medicine for the young adult.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bellach BM, Ellert U, Radoschweski M (2000) Epidemiology of pain. Bundesgesundheitsblatt 43:424–431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Garces GL, Medina D, Milutinovic L, Garavote P, Guerado E (2002) Normative database of isometric cervical strength in a healthy population. Med Sci Sports Exerc 34:464–470

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Makela M, Heliovaara M, Sievers K, Impivaara O, Knekt P, Aromaa A (1991) Prevalence, determinants, and consequences of chronic neck pain in Finland. Am J Epidemiol 134:1356–1367

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Ylinen J, Takala EP, Kautiainen H, Nykanen M, Hakkinen A, Pohjolainen T, Karppi SL, Airaksinen O (2004) Association of neck pain, disability and neck pain during maximal effort with neck muscle strength and range of movement in women with chronic non-specific neck pain. Eur J Pain 8:473–478

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Ylinen J, Salo P, Nykanen M, Kautiainen H, Hakkinen A (2004) Decreased isometric neck strength in women with chronic neck pain and the repeatability of neck strength measurements. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 85:1303–1308

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bogduk N, Mercer S (2000) Biomechanics of the cervical spine. I: normal kinematics. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 15:633–648

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Lansade C, Laporte S, Thoreux P, Rousseau MA, Skalli W, Lavaste F (2009) Three-dimensional analysis of the cervical spine kinematics: effect of age and gender in healthy subjects. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 34:2900–2906

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Reynolds J, Marsh D, Koller H, Zenenr J, Bannister G (2009) Cervical range of movement in relation to neck dimension. Eur Spine J 18:863–868

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Salo PK, Ylinen JJ, Malkia EA, Kautiainen H, Hakkinen AH (2006) Isometric strength of the cervical flexor, extensor, and rotator muscles in 220 healthy females aged 20–59 years. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 36:495–502

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Jordan A, Mehlsen J, Bulow PM, Ostergaard K, Danneskiold-Samsoe B (1999) Maximal isometric strength of the cervical musculature in 100 healthy volunteers. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 24:1343–1348

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Cagnie B, Cools A, De Loose V, Cambier D, Danneels L (2007) Differences in isometric neck muscle strength between healthy controls and women with chronic neck pain: the use of a reliable measurement. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 88:1441–1445

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Ang BO, Monnier A, Harms-Ringdahl K (2009) Neck/shoulder exercise for neck pain in air force helicopter pilots: a randomized controlled trial. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 34:E544–E551

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Ylinen JJ, Hakkinen AH, Takala EP, Nykanen MJ, Kautiainen HJ, Malkia EA, Pohjolainen TH, Karppi SL, Airaksinen OV (2006) Effects of neck muscle training in women with chronic neck pain: one-year follow-up study. J Strength Cond Res 20:6–13

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Hakkinen A, Ylinen J, Rinta-Keturi M, Talvitie U, Kautiainen H, Rissanen A (2004) Decreased neck muscle strength is highly associated with pain in cervical dystonia patients treated with botulinum toxin injections. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 85:1684–1688

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Vernon H (2008) The neck disability index: state-of-the-art, 1991–2008. J Manip Physiol Ther 31:491–502

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Williams MA, McCarthy CJ, Chorti A, Cooke MW, Gates S (2010) A systematic review of reliability and validity studies of methods for measuring active and passive cervical range of motion. J Manip Physiol Ther 33:138–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Rezasoltani A, Ylinen J, Bakhtiary AH, Norozi M, Montazeri M (2008) Cervical muscle strength measurement is dependent on the location of thoracic support. Br J Sports Med 42:379–382

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Vogt L, Segieth C, Banzer W, Himmelreich H (2007) Movement behaviour in patients with chronic neck pain. Physiother Res Int 12:206–212

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Klein P, Sommerfeld P (2007) Biomechanik der Wirbelsäule: Grundlagen, Erkenntnisse und Fragestellungen. Elsevier, Urban & Fischer, Munich

  20. Lecompte J, Maisetti O, Guillaume A, Skalli W, Portero P (2008) Neck strength and EMG activity in fighter pilots with episodic neck pain. Aviat Space Environ Med 79:947–952

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. De Loose V, Van den Oord M, Burnotte F, Van Tiggelen D, Stevens V, Cagnie B, Danneels L, Witvrouw E (2009) Functional assessment of the cervical spine in F-16 pilots with and without neck pain. Aviat Space Environ Med 80:477–481

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Seng KY, Lam PM, Lee VS (2003) Acceleration effects on neck muscle strength: pilots vs. non-pilots. Aviat Space Environ Med 74:164–168

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Nikander R, Malkia E, Parkkari J, Heinonen A, Starck H, Ylinen J (2006) Dose–response relationship of specific training to reduce chronic neck pain and disability. Med Sci Sports Exerc 38:2068–2074

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Sovelius R, Oksa J, Rintala H, Huhtala H, Ylinen J, Siitonen S (2006) Trampoline exercise vs. strength training to reduce neck strain in fighter pilots. Aviat Space Environ Med 77:20–25

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Webb A, Darekar A, Rassoulian H (2011) The influence of age, anthropometrics and range of motion on the morphometry of the synovial folds of the lateral atlanto-axial joints: a pilot study. Eur Spine J 20(4):542–549

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Webb AL, Collins P, Rassoulian H, Mitchell BS (2011) Synovial folds—a pain in the neck? Man Ther 16(2):118–124

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the study participants and physiotherapists for their great effort. We thank the Novotergum AG for excellent cooperation and experienced advice analyzing the cervical spine. Special thanks go to Karsten Witte and Nathalie Bohé for organization and supervising of the physiotherapists. Andreas Stölker was a great help with the statistical analysis. This study was financed by the University of Duisburg-Essen with money given in addition to the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) grant of Christian Wedemeyer and Max Daniel Kauther (WE 3634/1-1).

Conflict of interest

All authors state no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Trauma Surgery, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147, Essen, Germany

    Max Daniel Kauther, Bjoern Hussmann & Sven Lendemans

  2. Department of Orthopaedics, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany

    Michael Piotrowski & Christian Wedemeyer

Authors
  1. Max Daniel Kauther
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael Piotrowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bjoern Hussmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sven Lendemans
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Christian Wedemeyer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Max Daniel Kauther.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kauther, M.D., Piotrowski, M., Hussmann, B. et al. Cervical range of motion and strength in 4,293 young male adults with chronic neck pain. Eur Spine J 21, 1522–1527 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-012-2369-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-012-2369-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation