Alshehri Shaker Hassan S, Reddy Ravi Shankar, ALMohiza Mohammad A, Alshahrani Mastour Saeed, Alkhamis Batool Abdulelah, Alnakhli Hani Hassan, Koura Ghada Mohammed, Gautam Ajay Prashad, Mukherjee Debjani, Alqhtani Raee S, Al Adal Saeed Y, Alyami Abdullah Mohammed, Alyazedi Faisal M
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, 61421, Saudi Arabia.
Physical Therapy Program, Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, 61423, Saudi Arabia.
BMC Geriatr. 2025 Jan 9;25(1):18. doi: 10.1186/s12877-024-05670-2.
Chronic nonspecific neck pain (CNSNP) is a common musculoskeletal disorder, particularly in the elderly, leading to reduced cervical muscle strength, impaired functional balance, and decreased postural stability. This study investigated the correlation between cervical muscle strength, functional balance, and limits of stability (LOS) in elderly individuals with CNSNP. Additionally, it assessed the moderating effect of pain severity on the relationship between cervical muscle strength and these balance outcomes.
A prospective study included a total of 186 participants, including 93 with CNSNP and 93 asymptomatic individuals, were recruited. Cervical flexor and extensor muscle strength were assessed using an ergoFET hand-held dynamometer. Functional balance was measured using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, while LOS were evaluated using the Iso-Free machine.
Individuals with CNSNP exhibited significantly lower cervical flexor strength (32.45 ± 5.67 N vs. 40.75 ± 5.20 N, p < 0.001) and extensor strength (28.30 ± 6.05 N vs. 36.90 ± 5.90 N, p < 0.001) compared to asymptomatic individuals. Functional balance was also poorer in the CNSNP group, with lower BBS scores (47.85 ± 4.20 vs. 53.65 ± 3.85, p < 0.001) and slower TUG times (11.30 ± 2.05 s vs. 8.45 ± 1.80 s, p < 0.001). Cervical muscle strength showed moderate to strong positive correlations with LOS (r = 0.56 to 0.62, p < 0.001) and BBS (r = 0.48 to 0.53, p < 0.001). Pain severity significantly moderated the relationship between cervical muscle strength and functional balance (β = 0.20, p = 0.045) as well as LOS (β = 0.22, p = 0.038), suggesting that higher pain levels diminish the positive effects of muscle strength on balance.
Cervical muscle strength plays a crucial role in maintaining functional balance and postural stability in elderly individuals with CNSNP. Pain severity moderates the relationship between cervical muscle strength and balance outcomes, emphasizing the importance of integrating muscle strengthening and pain management in rehabilitation programs for elderly individuals with CNSNP to optimize postural control and minimize fall risk.
慢性非特异性颈部疼痛（CNSNP）是一种常见的肌肉骨骼疾病，在老年人中尤为常见，会导致颈部肌肉力量下降、功能平衡受损和姿势稳定性降低。本研究调查了患有CNSNP的老年人颈部肌肉力量、功能平衡和稳定性极限（LOS）之间的相关性。此外，还评估了疼痛严重程度对颈部肌肉力量与这些平衡结果之间关系的调节作用。
一项前瞻性研究共招募了186名参与者，其中包括93名患有CNSNP的患者和93名无症状个体。使用ergoFET手持式测力计评估颈部屈肌和伸肌力量。使用伯格平衡量表（BBS）和计时起立行走测试（TUG）测量功能平衡，同时使用Iso-Free机器评估LOS。
与无症状个体相比，患有CNSNP的个体颈部屈肌力量（32.45±5.67N对40.75±5.20N，p<0.001）和伸肌力量（28.30±6.05N对36.90±5.90N，p<0.001）显著降低。CNSNP组的功能平衡也较差，BBS评分较低（47.85±4.20对53.65±3.85，p<0.001），TUG时间较慢（11.30±2.05秒对8.45±1.80秒，p<0.001）。颈部肌肉力量与LOS（r=0.56至0.62，p<0.001）和BBS（r=0.48至0.53，p<0.001）呈中度至强正相关。疼痛严重程度显著调节了颈部肌肉力量与功能平衡（β=0.20，p=0.045）以及LOS（β=0.22，p=0.038）之间的关系，表明较高的疼痛水平会削弱肌肉力量对平衡的积极影响。
颈部肌肉力量在患有CNSNP的老年人维持功能平衡和姿势稳定性方面起着关键作用。疼痛严重程度调节了颈部肌肉力量与平衡结果之间的关系，强调了在患有CNSNP的老年人康复计划中整合肌肉强化和疼痛管理以优化姿势控制并最小化跌倒风险的重要性。
