Electrophysiological changes in mechanical neck pain patients

Abstract EN

Introduction : Neck pain possess a major problem to the society and is a common reason for consultation with physician, rheumatologist, orthopaedic , physiotherapist, etc.

The most common cause of mechanical neck pain is degenerative cervical spondylosis which is commonly, mostly asymptomatic condition, occurring as a result of age related degenerative changes in the cervical spine.

Methods : Eighty patients with mechanical neck pain whose pain was more than three months, were studied.

Thirty healthy volunteers, matched in age and gender and did not have neck pain for at least three months before, were enrolled and accepted as a control group.

The patient group consisted of 34 males (42.5 %) and 46 females (57.5 %), mean age of 43.86 ± 1.48 years.

The control group consisted of 12 males (40 %) and 18 females (60 %), mean age was 45.

90 ± 1.82 years.

All patients underwent electromyography, Nerve conduction study, Visual Analogue Score and X-Ray examination, twenty of them underwent Magnetic resonance imaging.

Electromyography, Nerve conduction study performed for control group.

Results : Eighty percent of patients had age between 30 to 59years.

In this study females were more common.

There was significant (p < 0.05) relationship between age and positive electromyography, age and nerve conduction study.

There was significant (p < 0.05) relationship between cervical roots lesions severity on electromyography and Visual Analogue Score.

There was no significant (p > 0.05) relationship between X-Ray grading and electromyography roots lesions severity.

Conclusion : Electrophysiological tests should be done for each patient with neck pain even without obvious neurological deficits.