Investigation of the Relationship Between Neck Pain and Spinal Curvatures

Although it is known that the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions of the spine are related with each other biomechanically, there are no studies examining the relationship between cervical pain and other regions of the spine. The purpose of this study was to examine angular changes of the spine and compare it with the control group according to the state of pain in patients with neck pain.

81 patients with chronic neck pain and 40 without any pain in their neck were included in the study. Spinal Mouse device was used to evaluate thoracic and lumbar curvatures. The pain sensory was evaluated with VAS.

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Key information

Conditions

Neck Pain Bone Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Spinal Curvatures Spinal Diseases

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

About this study

Neck pain is one of the most common problems among musculoskeletal disorders. Individuals with recurrent neck pain are characterized with chronic and recurrent pain periods, and their activities and quality of life are adversely affected. The causes of neck pain are not fully known. Long-term wrong static posture is considered as one of the most important causes of neck pain..

When studies examining the relationship between neck pain and spinal normality are investigated, it is seen that these studies mainly focus on the relationship between neck pain and cervical posture. In these studies, it is suggested that abnormal cervical lordosis and forward head posture are associated with neck pain development and its recurrence.

Although there are many studies examining the relationship between neck pain and the posture of the cervical region, studies investigating postural and angular changes in other parts of the spine in patients with neck pain are inadequate. In a review study, which stated that each segment of the spine is interrelated to other segments, it was mentioned that pelvis is associated with lumbar lordosis, lumbar lordosis is interrelated to thoracic kyphosis, and thoracic kyphosis has an impact on cervical lordosis. On the other hand, in this review study, it was emphasized that the relationship between pelvis and thoracic region decreases as the path from the pelvis to the cervical region becomes complicated. However, it is reported that when a postural disorder such as a decrease in lumbar lordosis and/or an increase in thoracic kyphosis occurs, the cervical lordosis increases as a compensatory mechanism.

Although it is known that the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions of the spine are related with each other biomechanically, there are no studies examining the relationship between cervical pain and other regions of the spine. Lau et al. reported that the upper thoracic angle increases in patients with neck pain and this angle is a good predictor of neck pain.

Since the spine is a whole, it is thought that any deficiency at one end of the whole can affect other segments. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine angular changes of the spine and compare it with the control group according to the state of pain in patients with chronic neck pain.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

18-65 years old
presence of neck pain for at least 3 months
absence of any other problems related to other parts of the spine such as low back pain
absence of any neurological, rheumatical or musculoskeletal problems

Exclusion criteria

history of spinal surgery
inclusion in physiotherapy program in the last 6 months
pregnancy
risk of osteoporosis
positive test of vertebrobasilar artery

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

Demographic data

Time frame: baseline

Demographic data (age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and duration of symptoms (duration of diagnosis)) of all individuals were recorded. All individuals were evaluated by the same researcher (OB) using the same test protocol.
Visual Analog Scale

Time frame: baseline

The severity of pain was evaluated by VAS. The average pain intensity in the last 4 weeks was questioned. The patients were asked to mark the severity of their pain on a 10-centimeter-long line where 0 stands for no pain and 10 for intolerable pain. The results were recorded in centimeter.
Thoracic and Lumbar Curvatures

Time frame: baseline

Thoracic and Lumbar Curvatures: Thoracic and lumbar region curvatures of individuals included in the study were evaluated by using Spinal Mouse (SM) (Idiag, Volkerswill, Switzerland). SM is a computer-aided electromechanical device that measures the curvatures of the spine at various postures. The locations marked on the skin were first determined by palpation and then marked with a cosmetic pen on the skin. The SM device was placed onto the 7th cervical vertebra and the recording started by pressing the button. Then the device was moved over the spinous processes of the spine from the 7th cervical vertebrae down to the 3rd sacral vertebrae where the button on the device was pressed again to finish the assessment. At a frequency of about 150 Hz, the device makes measurements along the spine at every 1.3 mm and records the data (The average length of the spine is 550 mm and the time required to measure the entire length is 2 to 4 seconds, so approximately 423 measurements are made in 3

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Kirsehir Ahi Evran Universitesi

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Investigation of the Relationship Between Neck Pain and Spinal Curvatures in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain

Acronym: neck pain

Important dates

Study start: 2013
Primary completion: 2013
Study completion: 2013
First posted: Mar 19, 2025
Registry last updated: Mar 19, 2025

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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Completed