MedPath

Isokinetic Assessment of Wrist Muscle Performance Among Medical Students With Neck Pain

Completed
Conditions
Neck Pain
Registration Number
NCT06240611
Lead Sponsor
Mohamed Mahmoud Refaey
Brief Summary

PURPOSES:

1. To assess the effect of chronic non-specific neck pain on peak torque of wrist extensor and flexor muscles /body weight among Egyptian physical therapy students.

2. To assess the effect of chronic non-specific neck pain on extensor / flexor wrist ratio among Egyptian physical therapy students.

3. To assess the effect of chronic non-specific neck pain on wrist extensor and flexor muscles endurance among Egyptian physical therapy students.

Detailed Description

BACKGROUND:

Although it is widely acknowledged that chronic non-specific neck pain is linked to hand disability as previously studied on dentists and ministry of health care stuff, there is still a gap in illustrating the effect of chronic non-specific neck pain on Egyptian physical therapy students' functional ability of wrist in the upper limb. However, the assessment of extensor / flexor wrist strength ratio has only recently gained attention. Furthermore, there is limited research investigating the strength control ratio that incorporates both concentric and eccentric muscle actions, and additional scientific evidence is needed to establish the relationship between chronic non-specific neck pain and upper limb disability. This study will be conducted to set new assessment and rehabilitation goals. This will subsequently be translated into home therapy program, contributing to decrease the burden of neck pain economically and on health care management.

Our study aims to evaluate peak torque of wrist extensor and flexor muscle/ body weight and extensor / flexor wrist ratio and wrist extensor and flexor muscle endurance among Egyptian physical therapy students with non-specific neck pain. Torque results are adjusted for body weight and compared to normative data for the gender and activity specialty to determine whether the unaffected limb is strong enough to act as a reference for the afflicted limb also compared between right- and left-handed subjects.

HYPOTHESES:

* There will be no significant effect of chronic non-specific neck pain on peak torque of wrist extensor and flexor muscles /body weight.

* There will be no significant effect of chronic non-specific neck pain on extensor / flexor wrist ratio.

* There will be no significant effect of chronic non-specific neck pain on wrist extensor and flexor muscles endurance.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

* Does chronic non-specific neck pain affect wrist extensor and flexor muscles performance among Egyptian physical therapy students?

* Does chronic non-specific neck pain affect peak torque of wrist extensor and flexor muscles/ body weight among Egyptian physical therapy students?

* Does chronic non-specific neck pain affect extensor / flexor wrist ratio among Egyptian physical therapy students?

* Does chronic non-specific neck pain affect wrist extensor and flexor muscles endurance among Egyptian physical therapy students?

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
45
Inclusion Criteria
  • Both sexes
  • Duration of neck pain (> 3 months)
  • Age from 18 to 23 years
  • The neck pain intensity is between 3 and 8 on the Numerical Pain Rating Scale
  • Neck pain-related disability was between 5 and 14 points on the Neck Disability Index
  • Body mass index from 18.5 to 29.5
Exclusion Criteria
  • Neurological conditions (i.e., Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, head injury, peripheral neuropathy, stroke, or nerve root entrapment)
  • Headache
  • Cancer, infection, or any other illness symptoms.
  • Trauma
  • Cardiovascular problems or cerebrovascular insufficiency symptoms.
  • Musculoskeletal disorder (i.e., joint replacement, amputation, physically limiting arthritis, contractures of fixed deformity, or muscular dystrophy)
  • Orthopedic or neurological conditions such as fractures, surgeries on the upper limb or hand, carpal tunnel syndrome, De Quervain's syndrome, or diabetic mellitus
  • Cervical spine spondylosis, disc prolapse, spinal stenosis, cervical fracture, etc.
  • Any recent treatment for neck pain.
  • Visual, auditory and speech problems
  • Forward head posture.

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
The correlation between neck pain and the findings of isokinetic dynamometerUp to 5 months

agonist/antagonist ratio percentage between control and study groups

The difference between control and study groups in the findings of isokinetic dynamometerThrough study completion, an average of 5 months

work fatigue index percentage between control and study groups

Comparison of the findings of isokinetic dynamometer between control and study groupsBaseline

peak torque/body weight percentage between control and study groups

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University

🇪🇬

Cairo, Giza, Egypt

Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University
🇪🇬Cairo, Giza, Egypt

MedPath

Empowering clinical research with data-driven insights and AI-powered tools.

© 2025 MedPath, Inc. All rights reserved.