목 통증이 있는 산업 노동자와 목 통증이 없는 산업 노동자 간의 목 움직임 머리 목 , - 운동 감각 비교

Comparison of Cervical Mobility, Cervicocephalic Kinesthetic Sensitivity between Industrial Workers with and without Neck Pain

Background: Neck-related diseases are common in various occupational groups due to risk factors such as arm posture. Neck pain decreases the range of motion (ROM) of the cervical spine and alters neck proprioception, resulting in an increase in repositioning errors. Objectives: This study aims to compare the ROM of the entire cervical spine, the upper and lower cervical segments, and the repositioning errors during sagittal movement between industrial workers with and without neck pain. Methods: This study involved 17 industrial workers with neck pain and 17 healthy industrial workers. The whole ROM and repositioning errors in the sagittal plane were measured using the Xsens DOT, and the ROM of the upper and lower cervical segments during sagittal movement was analyzed with the Kinovea program. An independent t-test was used to compare differences between the ROM of the cervical spine and repositioning error during sagittal movement between groups. Results: Compared with the control group, the neck flexion and extension angles of the neck pain group were lower (p < 0.05). The lower cervical flexion angle was significantly lower in the neck pain group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Both the upper and lower cervical extension angles were significantly lower in the neck pain group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The repositioning error in both the flexion and extension directions was higher in the neck pain group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Neck pain affects upper and lower cervical ROM differently. It also affects neck proprioception. Therefore, to optimally restore neck function in patients with neck pain and to plan an intervention that is suitable for each patient's individual characteristics, the upper and lower segments of the neck should be measured separately, and proprioception should be quantitatively assessed.