Chronic Neck Pain
Conditions
Keywords
cervical stabilization, hand grip, myofascial neck pain
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to examine effect of cervical stabilization exercises on hand grip strength, key pinch strength, pain intensity, pain pressure threshold and hand function in chronic myofascial neck pain patients.
Detailed description
Myofascial pain of the trapezius is considered one of the main causes of neck pain and characterized by deep, intense pain of the skeletal muscles and their fascia and by the presence of one or more MTrPs, Although MTrPs can be formed in any muscle or muscle group, previous studies concluded that the upper trapezius(UT) muscle is the most commonly affected muscle. Considering the role of synergistic function of the UT muscle in scapula-humeral rhythm during shoulder movement, it is not surprising that MTrPs in UT muscle can result in shoulder dysfunction and disability. Muscle activity of proximal parts is necessary for activation of distal parts. In fact, the stable activity of distal parts needs controlling the proximal parts. Thus, the stability of shoulder girdle is required for activity of distal parts such as fingers, wrists and elbows. In addition, trigger points in the UT can affect grip strength, which depends on shoulder joint and scapular stability. Thus, UT muscle dysfunction can reduce grip strength. However, little research has been carried out to determine the therapeutic effects of cervical stabilization exercises on chronic neck pain, and up till now, there is a gap in literature to explore efficacy of cervical stabilization exercises on chronic neck pain and hand grip strength. Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether cervical stabilization exercises has an effect on hand grip strength in chronic myofascial neck pain.
Interventions
PROCEDUREcervical stabilization exercises and integrated neuromuscular technique.
Patients received cervical stabilization exercises and integrated neuromuscular inhibition technique. Cervical stabilization protocol included strengthening exercises of deep cervical flexors muscles which included chin tucks, isometric holds, ball squeeze, as well as deep cervical extensors muscles which included cranio-cervical flexion from neutral, upper cervical rotation and extension of cervical spine. integrated technique includes ischemic compression, muscle energy technique and strain counter strain.
Sponsors
Cairo University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
double (investigator, outcome assessor)
Intervention model description
cervical stabilization exercises
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
20 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Chronic neck pain for more than 3 months. 2. Active MTrPs in the UT muscle with a tender nodule. 3. Constant neck pain, a jump sign during palpation of UT muscle. 4. Referred pain. 5. Symptoms of ipsilateral hand muscles weakness.
Exclusion criteria
1. Signs of severe pathology such as malignancy of the cervical area. 2. Fractures of the cervical spine. 3. Cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy. 4. Diabetes. 5. Trauma, congenital anomalies and surgery around neck, shoulder and hand. 6. Fibromyalgia or vascular syndromes such as vertebra-basilar insufficiency. 7. Pregnancy.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| primary outcome measure | up to four weeks | hand grip strength was measured by hand held dynamometer. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| secondary outcome measures | up to four weeks | pain pressure threshold was measured by pressure algometer. |
| secondary outcome measure | up to four weeks | hand function was measured by michigan quesstionaire.The Michigan Hand Outcomes Measure comprises 37 items with rating scale ranging 1 to 5. Every single domain was scored and converted to values that range from 0-100. A high score indicates better results, with the exception of pain in which a high score indicates a more intense pain. |
Countries
Egypt
Contacts
Primary ContactFatma Alzahraa M Ali, Master
Outcome results
None listed