Influence of nonspecific chronic neck pain on balance parameters

Sensorimotor deficits in chronic nonspecific neck pain may be altered cervical afferent input. Altered sensory input the cervical spine structur, mediated via the direct neurophysiological connections to vestibular and visual system has the potential to disturb postural control. This study compare postural performance between subjects with nonspecific chronic neck pain and a matched control group without CNP. In this case-control study, postural stability was measured by force plate in (24) nonspecific chronic neck pain &(24) matched healthy subjects. Each case performed double limb &single limb standing with 2 level of difficulty (rigid-foam surface). Measured parameter were mean velocity, standard deviation velocity in the media-lateral and antero-posterior direction. Data were analyzed by 2-way repeated measurement ANOVA. Finding shows that subjects with non-specific CNP had significant increase in standard deviations for velocity in the antero-posterior and media-lateral direction in single limb stance. In double limb stance no statistically significant differences were found between groups. dissimilarity in postural performance chronic nonspecific neck patient are reflection of different degrees of disturbances of the proprioceptive input to central nervous system and/or of the central processing of such input. It is suggested that consider treatment method for address neck position and movement sense and balance training