Quantitative Assessment of Shoulder Proprioception in Patients With Chronic Mechanical Cervical Pain

Quantitative Assessment of Shoulder Proprioception in Patients With Chronic Mechanical Cervical Pain

The study was aimed to compare shoulder proprioception in chronic mechanical cervical pain to a matched normal group. This study include 2 groups, 40 subjects with mechanical chronic cervical pain and 40 healthy subjects representing the control group. The primary outcome measure was the shoulder proprioception test of both upper limbs during active repositioning and quantified with angular displacement error.

The study was aimed to compare shoulder proprioception in chronic mechanical cervical pain to a matched normal group. This study include two groups, 40 subjects with mechanical chronic cervical pain and 40 healthy subjects representing the control group. The primary outcome measure was the shoulder proprioception test of both upper limbs during active repositioning and quantified with angular displacement error. Test was applied using an isokinetic dynamometer device at angle 30° for both shoulder internal and external rotation on both sides with an angular velocity 30°/sec.

Inclusion Criteria:

• The age ranged from 20 to 35 years.
• Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18 and less than 30.
• Sufficient cognitive abilities that enables them to understand and follow instructions with a score more than 24 in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale.
• For the group with cervical pain, participants had a chronic mechanical cervical pain started from three to 12 months.
• Participants with chronic pain with a score of 3 to 65 according to the short-form of the McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Shoulder problems.
• Previous cervical or shoulder surgery.
• Shoulder or cervical trauma.
• Cervical radiculopathy.
• Sever visual and/or auditory problems.
• Cognitive impairment (a score less than 24 according to MMSE).