Cervical Spine & Neck Pain

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of treatment of the cervical spine in patients with persistent post-concussion symptoms: A retrospective analysis

Musculoskeletal Science & Practice June 2017 Volume 29, Pages 91–98 Ewan Kennedy Highlights The cervical spine may contribute to persistent post-concussion symptoms. Physical examination is important to identify those with a cervicogenic component. Pain on manual segmental testing appears a key feature of a cervicogenic component. Neck treatment appears to benefit neck-related persistent post-concussion symptoms. […]

Leaning Forward During Smartphone Use May Cause ‘Text Neck’

By Carolyn Crist April 18, 2017 (Reuters Health) – Spine surgeons are noticing an increase in patients with neck and upper back pain, likely related to poor posture during prolonged smartphone use, according to a recent report. Some patients, particularly young patients who shouldn’t yet have back and neck issues, are reporting disk hernias and […]

The Effectiveness and Harms of Spinal Manipulative Therapy for the Treatment of Acute Neck and Lower Back Pain: A Systematic Review

Back pain and neck pain are among the most common symptoms prompting patients to seek care. Many treatments are used for back pain. Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is a treatment option available in VA. In order to better understand the potential role of SMT in treating acute back or neck pain, VA requested an up-to-date […]

Cervical traction therapy with and without neck support: A finite element analysis

Musculoskeletal Science & Practice April 2017 Volume 28, Pages 1–9 Kuan Wang Highlights •This study analyzed the biomechanics of two cervical traction therapies. •Tension was uniformly distributed from C4-C6 with neck support. •Tension was uniformly distributed at the C6-C7 levels without neck support. •The intradiscal pressure decreased during both traction therapies. Abstract Background Cervical traction is commonly […]

Neck Pain, Preoperative Opioids, and Functionality After Cervical Fusion

Mhamad Faour, MD Orthopedics January/February 2017 – Volume 40 · Issue 1: 25-32 Posted January 24, 2017 DOI: 10.3928/01477447-20161013-02 Abstract The use of opioids among patients with workers’ compensation claims is associated with tremendous costs, especially for patients who undergo spinal surgery. This study compared return-to-work rates after single-level cervical fusion for degenerative disk disease […]

People With Chronic Neck Pain Walk With a Stiffer Spine

Authors: Deborah Falla, PT, PhD Study Design Case-control. Background People with chronic neck pain present a number of sensorimotor and biomechanical alterations, yet little is known about the influence of neck pain on gait and motions of the spine during gait. Objective To evaluate the spine kinematics and gait characteristics in people with non-specific chronic […]

Isometric Exercise for the Cervical Extensors Can Help Restore Physiological Lordosis and Reduce Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 96(9):621–626, SEP 2017 DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000000698 , , PMID: 28118272 Issn Print: 0894-9115 Publication Date: 2017/09/01 Mahmut Alpayci Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to investigate whether isometric neck extension exercise restores physiological cervical lordosis and reduces pain. Design Sixty-five patients with loss of cervical lordosis were […]

US Spending on Personal Health Care and Public Health, 1996-2013

December 27, 2016 Joseph L. Dieleman, PhD1; Ranju Baral, PhD2; Maxwell Birger, BS1; et al Anthony L. Bui, MPH3; Anne Bulchis, MPH2; Abigail Chapin, BA1; Hannah Hamavid, BA1; Cody Horst, BS1; Elizabeth K. Johnson, BA1; Jonathan Joseph, BS1; Rouselle Lavado, PhD4; Liya Lomsadze, BS5; Alex Reynolds, BA1; Ellen Squires, BA1; Madeline Campbell, BS1; Brendan DeCenso, […]

The Cloward Sign…Cervical Referral Patterns

Ralph Bingham Cloward was an American Neurosurgeon born September 24th 1908 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was a member of the Western Neurosurgical Society for 40 years and the President in 1975. “Like many contributors to medicine, the [interbody fusion] technique was developed as a wartime necessity. Dr. Cloward was the only neurosurgeon in […]

THE CLOWARD SIGN…CERVICAL REFERRAL PATTERNS

Ralph Bingham Cloward was an American Neurosurgeon born September 24th 1908 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was a member of the Western Neurosurgical Society for 40 years and the President in 1975. “Like many contributors to medicine, the [interbody fusion] technique was developed as a wartime necessity. Dr. Cloward was the only neurosurgeon in […]

Effect of Deep Cervical Flexor Training vs. Conventional Isometric Training on Forward Head Posture, Pain, Neck Disability Index In Dentists Suffering from Chronic Neck Pain.

Gupta BD, et al. J Clin Diagn Res. 2013. Abstract Neck pain accounts for 15% of all soft tissue problems seen in general practice and are a common reason for referral to physiotherapy treatment. The prevalence of neck pain in dentists is 74.3%. Musculoskeletal symptoms in dentists are caused due to many reasons for e.g., […]

What Therapies Are Effective For Neck Pain From Whiplash?

This study suggests that mobilization, manipulation, and clinical massage are effective interventions for the management of neck pain. All of these therapies are offered at my office for the treatment of whiplash. Spine J. 2016 Dec;16(12):1598-1630. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2015.08.024. Epub 2015 Dec 17. Are manual therapies, passive physical modalities, or acupuncture effective for the management of […]

Diagnosis and Treatment of C4 Radiculopathy

Spine: 1 December 2016 – Volume 41 – Issue 23 – p 1790–1794 doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000001620 Abstract Study Design. Clinical case series. Objective. This study sought to clarify symptoms, diagnostic criteria, and treatment of C4 radiculopathy, and the role of diagnostic C4 root block in this entity. Summary of Background Data. Although well understood cervical dermatomal/myotomal […]

Cost-effectiveness of spinal manipulative therapy, supervised exercise, and home exercise for older adults with chronic neck pain

Brent Leininger, DC, MS The Spine Journal Volume 16, Issue 11, November 2016, Pages 1292–1304 Abstract Background Context Chronic neck pain is a prevalent and disabling condition among older adults. Despite the large burden of neck pain, little is known regarding the cost-effectiveness of commonly used treatments. Purpose This study aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness […]

Tai Chi can help relieve chronic neck pain, study shows

Date: October 13, 2016 Source: American Pain Society Summary: Tai Chi, a low-impact mind-body exercise, can be as effective as neck exercises in relieving persistent neck pain, according to results of randomized controlled trial. Tai Chi, a low-impact mind-body exercise, can be as effective as neck exercises in relieving persistent neck pain, according to results […]

The Effects of Tai Chi and Neck Exercises in the Treatment of Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

J Pain. 2016 Sep;17(9):1013-27. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2016.06.004. Epub 2016 Jun 23. Lauche R Abstract This study aimed to test the efficacy of Tai Chi for treating chronic neck pain. Subjects with chronic nonspecific neck pain were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of group Tai Chi or conventional neck exercises with weekly sessions of 75 to 90 minutes, or […]

Effect of pillow height on the biomechanics of the head-neck complex: investigation of the cranio-cervical pressure and cervical spine alignment.

Ren S, et al. Peer J. 2016. Abstract BACKGROUND: While appropriate pillow height is crucial to maintaining the quality of sleep and overall health, there are no universal, evidence-based guidelines for pillow design or selection. We aimed to evaluate the effect of pillow height on cranio-cervical pressure and cervical spine alignment. METHODS: Ten healthy subjects […]

Complementary Health Approaches for Pain Management

September 13, 2016 Mayo Clinic Proceedings TAKE-HOME MESSAGE The authors of this review evaluated the available evidence regarding the use of complementary health approaches to assist in the management of chronic pain. There was positive evidence to show that some strategies may be beneficial for specific complaints. Select complementary health approaches may be beneficial for […]

The Effects of Tai Chi and Neck Exercises in the Treatment of Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The Journal of Pain ORIGINAL REPORT| VOLUME 17, ISSUE 9, P1013-1027, SEPTEMBER 2016 Romy Lauche Published: June 23, 2016 DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2016.06.004 Highlights Tai Chi provides moderate benefit for patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain. Tai Chi exercises appear to be as effective as conventional exercises for neck pain. After 12 weeks a pain reduction of ≥50% […]

An Investigation of Fat Infiltration of the Multifidus Muscle in Patients With Severe Neck Symptoms Associated With Chronic Whiplash Associated Disorder

Authors: Anette Karlsson, MSc Study Design Cross-sectional study. Background Findings of fat infiltration in cervical spine multifidus, as a sign of degenerative morphometric changes due to the whiplash injury, need to be verified. Objectives To develop a method using water/fat magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate fat infiltration and cross-sectional area of multifidus muscle in […]