#Deep neck flexor endurance test manual#

It often has a continuous or intermittent course. Neck pain is generally more common in women than in men. The incidence rates increase with age up to 40 to 60 years, and then decrease slightly. Annual incidence rates of neck pain in general practice in the Netherlands have been estimated at 23 of every 1000 persons registered with a GP. Neck pain is a common but significant health problem in modern society, with reported 1-year prevalence values in the world population varying from 16.7% to 75.1% for adults, with a mean of 37.2%. Common methodological flaws in the studies were their small sample size and an inappropriate description of the study design. The endurance test of the short neck flexors and the cervical PILE test can be regarded as appropriate instruments for measuring different aspects of neck muscle function in patients with non-specific neck pain. Construct validity and responsiveness have hardly been documented for tests on muscle functioning. Acceptable intra- and inter-observer reliability was demonstrated for t enduranctest for short neck flexors and the cervical PILE test. All the articles included report information on the reproducibility of the tests.

#Deep neck flexor endurance test manual#

The instruments or tests included were: muscle endurance tests for short neck flexors, craniocervical flexion test with an inflatable pressure biofeedback unit, manual muscle testing of neck musculature, dynamometry and functional lifting tests (the cervical progressive iso-inertial lifting evaluation (PILE) test and the timed weighted overhead test). The search identified a total of 16 studies. Two reviewers independently assessed the clinimetric properties of identified measurement methods, using a checklist of generally accepted criteria for reproducibility (inter- and intra-observer reliability and agreement), construct validity, responsiveness and feasibility.

MethodsДЄ computerised literature search was performed in the Medline, CINAHL and Embase databases from 1980 to January 2007. This article provides a critical analysis of the research literature on the clinimetric properties of tests to measure neck muscle strength or endurance in patients with non-specific neck pain, which can be used in daily practice. There is evidence to suggest that neck muscle strength is reduced in patients with neck pain. Neck pain is a significant health problem in modern society.