Assessment of respiratory alterations and physical performance in chronic neck pain

Introduction: Chronic neck pain is an important health problem which causes manydisabilities by effecting physical performance and respiration.Aim: The aims of this study are to determine the effect of neck pain on respiratoryfunction and physical performance; and to evaluate relation in between respiratoryfunction and physical performans patients with chronic neck painMethods: This study was performed at Physical Therapy Unite of DumlupınarUniversity Medical School Hospital and Physical Therapy Clinic which is in thecentrum of Kutahya in between January and April 2009. The respiratory parametersand physical performances of 50 patients who have neck pain were evaluated andcompared with 47 matched healthy controls. Demograpfic informations, pain,respiratory parameters, posture, muscle shortness, range of motion, grip strength,physical performance and Neck Disability Index were evaluated. Istatistical analysiswere made by using SPSS for Windows 13.0 program.Results: According to posture analysis, it was seen that 35 cases of study group and36 cases of control group have head forward. When we compare respiratory functiontests, there was a significant difference in the FVC,FEV1 and PEF value results(p<0.05), however in FEV1/FVC value results, between two groups there was nosignificant difference (p>0.05). There was a significant difference in the comparisonof neck flexion and lateral flexion range of motion (p<0.05). In neck extansion androtation movements istatistically significant difference was not seen (p>0.05). As gripstrength and physical performance value of two groups were compared, case group?sresults were significantly lower than healthy group?s results (p<0.05). In addition tothis Neck Disability Index of case group is significantly higher (p<0.05). When therelation between physical performance and respiratory parameters of cases whohave chronic neck pain were evaluate, significant correlation was observed (p<0.05).However there was not significant correlation between physical performance andNeck Disability Index (p>0.05).Conclusion: Respiratory parameters and physical performances of patients withneck pain are effected in a negative way.Key Words: Neck pain, respiratory parameters, physical performance, neck disabilityindex.