The Effects of Chronic Neck Pain on Spinal Posture, Spinal Mobility and Handgrip Strength in Older Adults

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 7 Sayı: 2, 529 - 534, 09.05.2025

Koray Şahin , Kadirhan Özdemir , Nilay Yürekdeler Şahin

https://doi.org/10.37990/medr.1660072

Öz

Aim: The objective of the study was to compare spinal posture, spinal mobility, and handgrip strength between the participants aged 65 and over with and without Chronic Neck Pain (CNP).
Material and Method: A total of 35 participants aged 65 and over, 17 older people with a diagnosis of CNP (CNP group) and 18 older people without CNP (control group), were included in this cross-sectional study. The Spinal Mouse device was used to measure spinal posture for the positions of vertebral column and spinal mobility for the movements in sagittal and frontal planes for the vertebral column. Handgrip strength was measured with a hand dynamometer.
Results: The mean age of the CNP group and the control group were 69.88±4.66 years and 71.50±4.61 years (p>0.05), respectively. There were significant differences in right and left handgrip strength between the CNP group and the control group, respectively (p=0.008, p=0.022). According to the spinal posture values, the mean length of the vertebral column in CNP group was higher than the controls (p=0.028). In addition, the lumbar and pelvic inclination angles were different between the groups in maximum flexion positions (p=0.040 and p=0.027, respectively). According to the spinal mobility values, the mean pelvic inclination angle was lower in the CNP group than the controls from the upright position to the flexion movement (p=0.023). In addition, the lumbar and pelvic inclination angles were lower in the CNP group than the controls from the maximum extension to the maximum flexion movement (p=0.017 and p=0.013, respectively).
Conclusion: This study showed that the length of the vertebral column and the grip strength were higher in the older adults with CNP than the controls. According to the spinal posture, the lumbar angle and pelvic inclination angle were lower in the older adults with CNP than the controls. According to the spinal mobility, the pelvic inclination and lumbar angles in the older adults with CNP were lower than the controls.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Chronic neck pain , handgrip strength , spinal posture , spinal mobility , spinal curvature

Etik Beyan

Ethical approval was obtained from İzmir Bakırçay University Ethics Committee for the study (2022/642, date: 22.06.2022).

Kaynakça

• Verhagen AP. Physiotherapy management of neck pain. J Physiother. 2021;67:5-11.
• Fandim JV, Nitzsche R, Michaleff ZA, et al. The contemporary management of neck pain in adults. Pain Manag. 2021;11:75-87.
• Childress MA, Stuek SJ. Neck pain: initial evaluation and management. Am Fam Physician. 2020;102:150-6.
• Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK). İstatistiklerle Yaşlılar, 2023. https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Istatistiklerle-Yaslilar-2023-53710#:~:text=T%C3%9C%C4%B0K%20Kurumsal&text=Ya%C5%9Fl%C4%B1%20n%C3%BCfus%20olarak%20kabul%20edilen,10%2C2'ye%20y%C3%BCkseldi access date 28.02.2025.
• Kazeminasab S, Nejadghaderi SA, Amiri P, et al. Neck pain: global epidemiology, trends and risk factors. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2022;23:26.
• Jahre H, Grotle M, Smedbråten K, et al. Risk factors for non-specific neck pain in young adults. A systematic review. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2020;21:366.
• Rasmussen-Barr E, Halvorsen M, Bohman T, et al. Summarizing the effects of different exercise types in chronic neck pain - a systematic review and meta-analysis of systematic reviews. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2023;24:806.
• Kang T, Kim B. Cervical and scapula-focused resistance exercise program versus trapezius massage in patients with chronic neck pain: a randomized controlled trial. Medicine (Baltimore). 2022;101:e30887.
• Mendes-Fernandes T, Puente-González AS, Márquez-Vera MA, et al. Effects of global postural reeducation versus specific therapeutic neck exercises on pain, disability, postural control, and neuromuscular efficiency in women with chronic nonspecific neck pain: study protocol for a randomized, parallel, clinical trial. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18:10704.
• Mendes Fernandes T, Méndez-Sánchez R, Puente-González AS, et al. A randomized controlled trial on the effects of "Global Postural Re-education" versus neck specific exercise on pain, disability, postural control, and neuromuscular features in women with chronic non-specific neck pain. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2023;59:42-53.
• Wollesen B, Gräf J, Schumacher N, et al. Influences of neck and/or wrist pain on hand grip strength of industrial quality proofing workers. Saf Health Work. 2020;11:458-65.
• Michaelson P, Michaelson M, Jaric S, et al. Vertical posture and head stability in patients with chronic neck pain. J Rehabil Med. 2003;35:229-35. Erratum in: J Rehabil Med. 2007;39:744.
• Heller GZ, Manuguerra M, Chow R. How to analyze the Visual Analogue Scale: myths, truths and clinical relevance. Scand J Pain. 2016;13:67-75.
• Post RB, Leferink VJ. Spinal mobility: sagittal range of motion measured with the SpinalMouse, a new non-invasive device. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2004;124:187-92.
• Mannion AF, Knecht K, Balaban G, et al. A new skin-surface device for measuring the curvature and global and segmental ranges of motion of the spine: reliability of measurements and comparison with data reviewed from the literature. Eur Spine J. 2004;13:122-36.
• Sipers WM, Verdijk LB, Sipers SJ, et al. The martin vigorimeter represents a reliable and more practical tool than the jamar dynamometer to assess handgrip strength in the geriatric patient. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2016;17:466.e1-7.
• Bohannon RW. Grip strength: an indispensable biomarker for older adults. Clin Interv Aging. 2019;14:1681-91.
• Özer Kaya D, Toprak Çelenay Ş. An investigation of sagittal thoracic spinal curvature and mobility in subjects with and without chronic neck pain: cut-off points and pain relationship. Turk J Med Sci. 2017;47:891-6.
• Tutar B, Boyan N, Oguz O. Effects of chronic neck pain on grip strength and psychomotor skills in adults. J Oral Rehabil. 2024;51:1989-96.
• Lau KT, Cheung KY, Chan KB, et al. Relationships between sagittal postures of thoracic and cervical spine, presence of neck pain, neck pain severity and disability. Man Ther. 2010;15:457-62.
• Yang S, Boudier-Revéret M, Yi YG, et al. Treatment of chronic neck pain in patients with forward head posture: a systematic narrative review. Healthcare (Basel). 2023;11:2604.
• Côté P, Cassidy JD, Carroll L. The factors associated with neck pain and its related disability in the Saskatchewan population. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2000;25:1109-17.
• Huang Z, Bai Z, Yan J, et al. Association between muscle morphology changes, cervical spine degeneration, and clinical features in patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain: a magnetic resonance imaging analysis. World Neurosurg. 2022;159:e273-84.
• Grob D, Frauenfelder H, Mannion AF. The association between cervical spine curvature and neck pain. Eur Spine J. 2007;16:669-78.