Original Research Article
Year: 2017 | Month: July | Volume: 7 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 92-97
The Association between Neck Pain and Upper Limb Disability in Patients with Non-Specific Neck Pain
Dr. Reshma S. Gurav1, Dr. Vrushali P. Panhale2
1Associate Professor, 2Professor,
Department of Musculoskeletal Sciences, MGM College of Physiotherapy, Sec 1, Kamothe, Navi Mumbai - 410209, Maharashtra, India
Corresponding Author: Dr. Reshma S. Gurav
ABSTRACT
Background: Neck pain is a common musculoskeletal problem that affects a substantial proportion of people at some point in their lives. It has long been recognized that neck pain can result in symptoms and problems being referred into the upper limb. Thus to provide an accurate treatment to subjects with neck pain ,it becomes necessary to know the severity of the neck pain as well, to see whether mechanical neck pain can results in upper limb disability, for which it is essential to measure and correlate the same.
Method: A validated questionnaire of Neck pain disability index (NDI) was given to the 30 participants to measure the neck pain. Baseline upper limb disability was measured using the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, Hand questionnaire (DASH) and The Single Arm Military Press (SAMP) test. SAMP test was performed on age match 30 healthy individuals without having neck pain for later comparison of scores. Data analysis was done to correlate the NDI % score, DASH score and SAMP score.
Results: There was significant difference between the mean value of SAMP score in subjects with neck pain and without neck pain, (p <0.001). Pair wise analysis revealed a positive correlation between NDI % and DASH score (r = 0.577). There is negative correlation between NDI % score & SAMP score and DASH score and SAMP score of both upper limbs.
Conclusion: A strong relationship existed between neck dysfunction and upper limb disability. The presence of neck pain should direct clinicians towards an assessment and management of upper limb function.
Key words: Neck pain, Upper limb disability, DASH, SAMP test.