The Relationship Between Dizziness and Neck Pain

Dizziness and Neck Pain - is There a Relationship and Does it Matter?

Status

UNKNOWN

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT03531619

Enrollment

370

Registered

2018-05-22

Start date

2017-07-11

Completion date

2024-03-01

Last updated

2023-05-09

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Dizziness, Neck Pain, Vertigo

Keywords

posturography, quality of life, pressure algometry, cervicogenic dizziness

Brief summary

Both dizziness and neck pain are common complaints in the Norwegian population. The cervical spine has a highly developed proprioceptive system, which is involved in head and gaze stabilization as well as postural control. Thus, it has been argued that dizziness and/or unsteadiness can occur due to loss of or inadequate stimulation of neck receptors in patients with neck pain. Still, the notion of dizziness due to cervical dysfunction is a controversial topic. However, clinicians report that patients referred for dizziness often complain of neck pain, and vice versa. This study is a multi-center study including patients referred to 1) a neuro-otologic clinic due to dizziness and 2) a rehabilitation clinic due to neck pain. Both clinics are tertiary care university clinics. The study explores the prevalence, severity and spectrum of symptoms as well as clinical findings in patients with various combinations of dizziness and neck pain. The aim is to see if these patient groups differ from each other in terms of clinical characteristics, symptoms and quality of life. Additionally, the aim is to examine if there is a relationship between neck dysfunction and dizziness, and last, if the symptoms persist longer in patients with both dizziness and neck pain.

Detailed description

This is a longitudinal study with data collected at baseline, 6 months and 3 years follow-up. Variables collected at baseline include age, sex, symptom variables including Dizziness Handicap Inventory, Vertigo Symptom Scale Short Form, Haukeland Dizziness Questionnaire, Visual analog scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, RAND-12, dynamic posturography, video-based head impulse test, bithermal caloric tests, Neck Disability Index, as well as neck examinations including pressure algometry and measurements of the range of neck movements. Follow-up data after 6 months include the same patient-reported outcomes as at baseline.

Interventions

None listed

Study design

Observational model

COHORT

Time perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 67 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

for patients: * Residence within the Health Region of Western Norway AND * Referral to the ENT department of Haukeland University Hospital due to vertigo OR * Referral to Nordås Outpatient Clinic due to neck pain lasting \> 3 months

Exclusion criteria

for patients: * Severe orthopaedic or neurologic disease affecting postural balance * Inability to undergo test protocol due to physical or language barriers * Quaternary referrals (vestibular schwannomas or divers with vestibular disorders) Inclusion criteria for healthy controls: \- Employees at Haukeland University Hospital

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Difference between Groups in the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI)	Baseline and 6 months follow-up	25-item symptom score. 0-100 Points on dizziness handicap severity
Difference betwee Groups in the Neck Disability Index (NDI)	Baseline and 6 months follow-up	10-time symptom score. 0-50 Points on neck disabilty severity

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Correlation between Posturography and neck pain	Baseline	Path length is used as measure of steadiness. Neck pain is measured With a pressure algometer, measuring the pressure pain threshold of the neck in kilo pascal.

Countries

Norway

Outcome results