Cervicalgia
Conditions
Keywords
Cervicalgia
Brief summary
The purpose of the study is to see if manipulation of the neck will change the way people who may or may not have neck pain, walk under differing conditions.
Detailed description
Volunteers in this study will be asked to do the following: 1) complete a series of questionnaires about health status and undergo physical screening of neck to make sure that manipulation will not be harmful; 2) walk in socks or bare feet across a computerized mat under 3 conditions - normal walking pace, walking while looking up and down repeatedly; and walking while looking left and right repeatedly; 3) have one of 2 manual therapy interventions to the neck; 4) repeat the walking across the computerized mat under those same 3 conditions. The 2 randomly assigned interventions are: cervical manipulation, or cervical contact. If assigned the manipulation, volunteers will lie face up and the trained therapist will move the joints in the neck in a gentle, but short and sharp manner which may produce a slight 'pop' or 'click'. If volunteers are assigned the cervical contact, they will lie on their back and the trained therapist will gently hold the head and neck for 45 to 60 seconds as they quietly relax.
Interventions
PROCEDUREManipulation
PROCEDUREManual Contact
Sponsors
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. Volunteers may or may not have mechanical neck pain 2. Aged 18 to 70 years 3. If neck pain is present, must have Neck Disability Index score of at least 10 out of 50 points
Exclusion criteria
1. 'Red flag' items indicated in Neck Medical Screening Questionnaire such as history of a tumor, bone fracture, metabolic diseases, Rheumatoid Arthritis, osteoporosis, severe atherosclerosis, prolonged history of steroid use, etc. 2. History of neck whiplash injury 3. Diagnosis from physician of cervical spinal stenosis (narrowing of spinal canal) or presence of symptoms (pain, pins and needles, numbness) down both arms 4. Presence of central nervous system involvement such as exaggerated reflexes, changes in sensation in the hands, muscle wasting in the hands, impaired sensation of the face, altered taste, and presence of abnormal reflexes 5. Evidence of neurological signs consistent with nerve root entrapment (pinched nerve in the neck) 6. Prior surgery to neck or upper back 7. A medical condition which may influence assessment of pain or pressure pain thresholds (i.e. taking analgesics, sedatives, history of substance abuse, or cognitive deficiency) 8. Diagnosis from your physician of fibromyalgia syndrome 9. Currently pregnant, or could be pregnant
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gait Parameters - Composite Score | Up to 10 minutes after intervention | A composite score derived from specific gait parameters which include stride length, step length, step width, cadence |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Global Rating of Change Scale | Up to 10 minutes after intervention | Global rating of perceived change |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed