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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT01745705

Cervical Spine Manipulation Affects on Balance and Proprioception

Cervical spine manipulation (CSM) is utilized by many health care practitioners in the management of patients with neck pain and headache. How CSM works is not understood however, most researchers agree that there is likely a combination of mechanical, neurophysiological and placebo effects. This study will test for possible neurophysiological effects by examining for changes in a person's ability to reposition their head and neck in space, and maintain their balance following CSM.

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Key information

Conditions

Neck Pain Headache Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Department of Physical Therapy, University of Nevada Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada, 89154, United States

About this study

Consenting participants will have their proprioception tested through a joint repositioning error test for their cervical spine, and also have their balance tested through a Neurocom Balancemaster. Following these pre-intervention measures, they will receive in a random order, either a cervical spine manipulation (CSM) or a sham manipulation, and then have tests repeated to analyze for changes and differences between interventions.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • healthy individuals between the ages of 18 and 60

Exclusion criteria

  • current neck pain/symptoms; neck pain symptoms within the last 6 months; confirmation or possibility of pregnancy; dizziness; vertigo, or nausea; history of cervical spine surgery; rheumatoid arthritis; osteoporosis; osteopenia; ankylosing spondylitis; cancer; or vertebral artery insufficiency.

Treatment and study plan

Cervical Spine Manipulation

Other

Manual contact

Other

Primary outcomes

  1. Cervical joint proprioception

    Time frame: 1 day (Immediately after the intervention)

    Subjects wear a headband with a mounted laser pointer and sit 1 meter away from a wall. They assume their comfortable neutral cervical posture and then close their eyes and extend their cervical spine and return to their neutral posture with eyes closed. The laser pointer marks the point of return and we measure the difference between start and end points for error.

Other outcomes

  1. SMART Neurocom Balance Master

    Time frame: 1 day (Immediately after the intervention)

    Subjects stand on a force plate on a SMART Neurocom Balance Master and complete a Sensory Organization Test (SOT) program which assesses somatosensory, visual and vestobular systems used in maintaining balance.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Immediate Effects of Cervical Spine Manipulation on Balance and Joint Proprioception in Healthy Individuals

Important dates

Study start
2011
Primary completion
2013
Study completion
2013
First posted
Dec 10, 2012
Registry last updated
Jun 19, 2013

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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