Cervical Spine Manipulation Affects on Balance and Proprioception

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Headache; Neck Pain
• Interventions: Other: Cervical Spine Manipulation; Other: Manual Contact

• Registration Number: NCT01745705
• Lead Sponsor: University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Brief Summary

Cervical spine manipulation (CSM) is utilized by many health care practitioners in the management of patients with neck pain and headache. How CSM works is not understood however, most researchers agree that there is likely a combination of mechanical, neurophysiological and placebo effects. This study will test for possible neurophysiological effects by examining for changes in a person's ability to reposition their head and neck in space, and maintain their balance following CSM.

Detailed Description

Consenting participants will have their proprioception tested through a joint repositioning error test for their cervical spine, and also have their balance tested through a Neurocom Balancemaster. Following these pre-intervention measures, they will receive in a random order, either a cervical spine manipulation (CSM) or a sham manipulation, and then have tests repeated to analyze for changes and differences between interventions.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2011-04
• Study First Submitted: 2012-12-05
• Study First Submitted QC: 2012-12-07
• Study First Posted: 2012-12-10
• Status Verified: 2013-06
• Primary Completion: 2013-06
• Study Completion: 2013-06
• Last Update Submitted: 2013-06-17
• Last Update Posted: 2013-06-19

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 45

Inclusion Criteria

• healthy individuals between the ages of 18 and 60

Exclusion Criteria

• current neck pain/symptoms; neck pain symptoms within the last 6 months; confirmation or possibility of pregnancy; dizziness; vertigo, or nausea; history of cervical spine surgery; rheumatoid arthritis; osteoporosis; osteopenia; ankylosing spondylitis; cancer; or vertebral artery insufficiency.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Cervical Spine Manipulation	Cervical Spine Manipulation	Subjects will lie supine on a treatment table and receive a high velocity low amplitude thrust joint manipulation to their cervical spine in rotation to each side of the neck.
Manual Contact	Manual Contact	Subjects will lie supine on a treatment table and have their suboccipital region gently cupped by the therapist for 30 seconds. No movement or force will be applied, just simple manual contact.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Cervical joint proprioception	1 day (Immediately after the intervention)	Subjects wear a headband with a mounted laser pointer and sit 1 meter away from a wall. They assume their comfortable neutral cervical posture and then close their eyes and extend their cervical spine and return to their neutral posture with eyes closed. The laser pointer marks the point of return and we measure the difference between start and end points for error.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Department of Physical Therapy, University of Nevada Las Vegas; 🇺🇸 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States