Neck Solutions

Balneotherapy in elderly patients: effect on pain from degenerative knee and spine conditions and on quality of life

From: Isr Med Assoc J. 2008 May;10(5):365-9

Balneotherapy is an established treatment modality for musculoskeletal disease, but few studies have examined the efficacy of spa therapy in elderly patients with degenerative spine and joint diseases. To assess the effects of balneotherapy on chronic musculoskeletal pain, functional capacity, and quality of life in elderly patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or with chronic low back pain. The 81 patients in the study group underwent a 1 day course of 30 minute daily baths in mineral water. Changes were evaluated in the following parameters: pain intensity, functional capacity, quality of life, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory or analgesic drugs, subjective disease severity perceived by the patients, investigator-rated disease severity, and severity of pain perceived by the patients. We analyzed the results of 76 subjects as 5 did not complete the study.

Compared to baseline, all monitored parameters were significantly improved by balneotherapy in both investigated groups. Moreover, the favorable effect was prolonged for 3 months after treatment. This study showed that balneotherapy is an effective treatment modality in elderly patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or with chronic low back pain, and its benefits last for at least 3 months after treatment.

Can Exposure and Acceptance Strategies Improve Functioning and Life Satisfaction in People with Chronic Pain and Whiplash-Associated Disorders?

From: Cogn Behav Ther. 2008 Jun 13;:1-14 [Epub ahead of print]

Although 14% to 42% of people with whiplash injuries end up with chronic debilitating pain, there is still a paucity of empirically supported treatments for this group of patients. In chronic pain management, there is increasing consensus regarding the importance of a behavioural medicine approach to symptoms and disability. Cognitive behaviour therapy has proven to be beneficial in the treatment of chronic pain. An approach that promotes acceptance of, or willingness to experience, pain and other associated negative private events (e.g. fear, anxiety, and fatigue) instead of reducing or controlling symptoms has received increasing attention. Although the empirical support for treatments emphasizing exposure and acceptance (such as acceptance and commitment therapy) is growing, there is clearly a need for more outcome studies, especially randomized controlled trials. In this study, participants (N = 21) with chronic pain and whiplash associated disorders were recruited from a patient organization and randomized to either a treatment or a wait-list control condition. Both groups continued to receive treatment as usual. In the experimental condition, a learning theory framework was applied to the analysis and treatment. The intervention consisted of a 10-session protocol emphasizing values-based exposure and acceptance strategies to improve functioning and life satisfaction by increasing the participants’ abilities to behave in accordance with values in the presence of interfering pain and distress - psychological flexibility. After treatment, significant differences in favor of the treatment group were seen in pain disability, life satisfaction, fear of movements, depression, and psychological inflexibility. No change for any of the chronic pain and whiplash groups was seen in pain intensity. Improvements in the treatment group were maintained at 7-month follow-up. The authors discuss implications of these findings and offer suggestions for further research in chronic pain and whiplash with cognitive behaviour therapy.

Common Chronic Pain Conditions in Developed and Developing Countries: Gender and Age Differences and Comorbidity With Depression and Anxiety Disorders

From: J Pain. 2008 Jul 3; [Epub ahead of print]

Although there is a growing body of research concerning the prevalence and correlates of chronic pain conditions and their association with mental disorders, cross-national research on age and gender differences is limited. The present study reports the prevalence by age and gender of common chronic pain conditions (headache, back or neck pain, arthritis or joint pain, and other chronic pain) in 10 developed and 7 developing countries and their association with the spectrum of both depressive and anxiety disorders. It draws on data from 18 general adult population surveys using a common survey questionnaire (N = 42,249).

Results show that age-standardized prevalence of chronic pain conditions in the previous 12 months was 37.3% in developed countries and 41.1% in developing countries, with back pain and headache being somewhat more common in developing than developed countries. After controlling for comorbid chronic physical diseases, several findings were consistent across developing and developed countries. There was a higher prevalence of chronic pain conditions such as; headaches, back pain, neck pain, arthritis or joint pain among females and older persons; and chronic pain was similarly associated with depression and anxiety spectrum disorders in developed and developing countries. However, the large majority of persons reporting chronic pain did not meet criteria for depression or anxiety disorder. We conclude that common pain conditions affect a large percentage of persons in both developed and developing countries.

Chronic pain conditions including headache, back or neck pain, arthritis or joint pain are common in both developed and developing countries. Overall, the prevalence of pain is greater among females and among older persons. Although most persons reporting pain do not meet criteria for a depressive or anxiety disorder, depression and anxiety spectrum disorders are associated with pain in both developed and developing countries.

Treatment of chronic back pain by sensory discrimination training. A Phase I RCT of a novel device (FairMed) vs. TENS

From: BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2008 Jun 28;9(1):97 [Epub ahead of print]

The causes of chronic low back pain remain obscure and effective treatment of symptoms remains elusive. A mechanism of relieving chronic pain based on the consequences of conflicting unpleasant sensory inputs to the central nervous system has been hypothesised. As a result a device was generated to deliver sensory discrimination training (FairMed), and this randomised controlled trial compared therapeutic effects with a comparable treatment modality, TENS.

60 patients with chronic low back pain were recruited from physiotherapy referrals to a single-blinded, randomised controlled, non-inferiority trial. They were randomised to receive either FairMed or TENS and asked to use the allocated device for 30 minutes, twice a day, for 3 weeks. The primary outcome variable measured at 0 and 3 weeks was pain intensity measured using a visual analogue scale averaged over 7 days. Secondary outcome measures were Oswestry Disability Index, 3 timed physical tests, 4 questionnaires assessing different aspects of emotional coping and a global measure of patient rating of change.

Baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable. The primary outcome, change in pain intensity at 3 weeks showed a mean difference between groups of -0.1. The mean difference in change in ODI scores was 0.4. Differences in change of physical functioning showed that no significant difference in change of scores for any of these test. Changes in scores of aspects of emotional coping also demonstrated no significant difference in change scores between the groups.

FairMed was not inferior to TENS treatment. The findings have implications for further research on current chronic pain theories and treatments. Further work to explore these mechanisms is important to expand our understanding of chronic pain and the role of neuro-modulation.

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Strength training and stretching versus stretching only in the treatment of patients with chronic neck pain

From: Clinical Rehabilitation. 2008 Jul;22(7):592-600

To compare the effectiveness of a 12-month home-based combined strength training and stretching programme against stretching alone in the treatment of chronic neck pain. A randomized follow-up study with one hundred and one patients with chronic non specific neck pain were randomized in two groups. The strength training and stretching group was supported by 10 group training sessions and the stretching group was instructed to perform stretching exercises only as instructed in one group session. Neck pain, disability, neck muscle strength and mobility of cervical spine were measured before and after the intervention.

No significant differences in improvement in neck pain and disability were found between the two training groups. Mean pain decreased from 64 (17) mm by 37 mm in the strength training and stretching group, and from 60 (17) mm by 32 (39 to 25) mm in the stretching group. The improvements in disability were significant in both neck pain groups, while the changes in neck strength and mobility were minor. Training adherence decreased over time from the targeted three sessions a week, ending up at 1.1 (0.7) times a week for strength training and stretching group and 1.4 (0.8) times a week for stretching group.

No statistically significant differences in neck pain and disability were observed between the two home-based neck training regimens. Combined strength training and stretching or stretching only for neck pain were probably as effective in achieving a long-term improvement although the training adherence was rather low most of the time.

Muscular reactivity and specificity in chronic back pain patients

From: Psychosomatic Medicine. 2008 Jan;70(1):125-31. Epub 2007 Dec 24

Comparison of the muscular reactivity of patients with chronic back pain to different psychological stressors with the reactions of healthy controls. We also investigated the specificity of muscular reaction near the site of pain in comparison to distal sites. The symptom-specificity model of chronic pain postulates that increased muscle tension in chronic back pain patients may be responsible for the development and maintenance of chronic pain.

Studied were a total of 54 chronic back pain patients with musculoskeletal pain of the lower back, midback, or neck and 62 healthy controls, matched with chronic back pain patients. Muscle tension and skin conductance level (SCL) were assessed. The four experimental conditions included back focusing, a personally relevant stressor, a cognitive stressor, and a social stressor.

Chronic back pain patients showed patterns of higher muscular reactivity in the lower back region for chronic low back pain patients during the exposure to a personally relevant stressor, a cognitive stressor, and a social stressor. Additionally, chronic low back pain patients showed specific muscular responses in the lower back. The results support the assumptions made by the symptom-specificity model of chronic back pain, but only for lower back, not for midback and neck. Treatment programs of chronic low back pain should include specific combined relaxation and stress management components.

Quality of sleep in patients with chronic low back pain: a case-control study

From: European Spine Journal. 2008 Apr 4. [Epub ahead of print]

Animal experiments and studies in humans clearly show that the relation between pain (acute and chronic) and sleep quality is two-way: sleep disorders can increase pain, which in turn may cause sleep disorders. Sleep disorders and chronic low back pain are frequent health problems and it is unsurprising that the two can co-exist. This study was conducted to evaluate if sleep disorders and chronic pain associated are more frequently than one would expect. The objective of the study was to compare sleep quality in a population of patients with chronic low back pain and a control population. Sleep quality was assessed in 101 patients with chronic low back pain (chronic low back pain) and in 97 sex and age matched healthy control subjects using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [score from 0 (no disorder) to 21]. The French version of the Dallas Pain Questionnaire was used to assess the impact of low back pain on patients’ quality of life. This impact was taken as nil in the healthy controls. The patients with chronic low back pain and the controls were comparable in age, sex, and height, but mean bodyweight was higher in the chronic low back pain group. The patients with chronic low back pain were also more frequently on sick leave than the controls. Coffee, tea, and cola intakes were comparable in the two groups. Patients with chronic low back pain had statistically higher scores in all items of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index than the healthy controls. The mean Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was 4.7 +/- 3.2 for the healthy controls and 10.9 +/- 7.9 for the patients with chronic low back pain. Sleep disorders were greater when the impact of chronic low back pain on daily life (the four aspects of the Dallas Pain Questionnaire) was greater. The sleep of the patients with chronic low back pain was significantly altered compared with that of the healthy controls, in proportion to the impact of low back pain on daily life. Our findings do not indicate whether sleep disorders are a cause or a consequence of chronic low back pain.

Decreased isometric neck strength in women with chronic neck pain and the repeatability of neck strength measurements

From: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2004 Aug;85(8):1303-8

To evaluate neck flexion, extension, and, especially, rotation strength in women with chronic neck pain compared with healthy controls and to evaluate the repeatability of peak isometric neck strength measurements in patients with neck pain. Twenty-one women with chronic neck pain and healthy controls matched for sex, age, anthropometric measures, and occupation. Peak isometric strength of the cervical muscles was tested in rotation, flexion, and extension.

Significantly lower flexion (29%), extension (29%), and rotation forces (23%) were produced by the chronic neck pain group compared with controls. When the repeated test results were compared pairwise against their mean, considerable variation was observed in the measures on the individual level. Intratester repeatability of the neck muscle strength measurements was good in all the 4 directions tested in the chronic neck pain group. The coefficient of repeatability was 15N, both in flexion and extension, and 1.8 Nm in rotation. On the group level, improvement up to 10% due to repeated testing was observed.

The group with neck pain had lower neck muscle strength in all the directions tested than the control group. This factor should be considered when planning rehabilitation programs. Strength tests may be useful in monitoring training progress in clinical settings, but training programs should be planned so that the improvement in results is well above biologic variation, measurement error, and learning effect because of repeated testing.

Torque-EMG-velocity relationship in female workers with chronic neck muscle pain

From: Journal of Biomechanics. 2008 May 5

The present study investigated the effect of chronic neck muscle pain (defined as trapezius myalgia) on neck and shoulder muscle function during concentric, eccentric and static contraction. Forty-two female office workers with chronic neck muscle pain and 20 healthy matched controls participated. Isokinetic and static maximal voluntary shoulder abductions were performed in a Biodex dynamometer, and electromyography obtained in the trapezius and deltoideus muscles. Muscle thickness in the trapezius was measured with ultrasound. Pain and perceived exertion were registered before and after the dynamometer test. The main findings were that shoulder abduction torque and trapezius electromyography amplitude were significantly lower in chronic neck muscle pain compared with healthy matched controls. Deltoideus electromyography and trapezius muscle thickness were not significantly different between the groups. While perceived exertion increased in both groups in response to the test, pain increased in chronic neck muscle pain only. In conclusion, having chronic neck muscle pain was associated with decreased strength capacity and lowered activity of the painful trapezius muscle. The most consistent differences-in terms of both torque and electromyography were found during slow concentric and eccentric contractions. Activity of the synergistic pain free deltoideus muscle was not significantly lower, indicating specific inhibitory feedback of the painful trapezius muscle only. Parallel increase in pain and perceived exertion among chronic neck muscle pain were observed in response to the maximal contractions, emphasizing that heavy physical exertion provokes pain increase only in conditions of chronic neck pain due to myalgia.

An endurance strength training regime is effective in reducing myoelectric manifestations of cervical flexor muscle fatigue in females with chronic neck pain

From: Clinical Neurophysiology. 2006 Apr;117(4):828-37.

To investigate whether an endurance strength training program is effective in reducing myoelectric manifestations of sternocleidomastoid and anterior scalene muscle fatigue which have been found to be greater in people with chronic neck pain.

Fifty-eight female patients with chronic non severe neck pain were randomized into one of two 6-week exercise intervention groups: an endurance strength training regime for the neck flexor muscles or a referent exercise intervention involving low load retraining of the craniocervical flexor muscles. The primary outcomes were a change in maximum voluntary contraction force and change of the initial value and rate of change of the mean frequency, average rectified value and conduction velocity detected from the sternocleidomastoid and anterior scalene muscles during submaximal isometric neck flexion contractions at 50, 25 and 10% maximum voluntary contraction.

At the 7th week follow-up assessment, the endurance-strength training group revealed a significant increase in maximum voluntary contraction force and a reduction in the estimates of the initial value and rate of change of the mean frequency for both the sternocleidomastoid and anterior scalene muscles. Both exercise groups reported a reduced average intensity of neck pain and reduced neck disability index score.

An endurance strength exercise regime for the neck flexor muscles is effective in reducing myoelectric manifestations of superficial neck flexor muscle fatigue as well as increasing neck flexion strength in a group of patients with chronic non severe neck pain. Provision of load to challenge the neck flexor muscles is required to reduce the fatigability of the sternocleidomastoid and anterior scalene muscles in people with neck pain. Improvements in neck muscle strength and reduced fatigability may be responsible for the reported efficacy with this type of exercise program.