Alterations in the Mechanical Response of Deep Dorsal Neck Muscles in Individuals Suffering from Whiplash-Associated Disorders Compared to Healthy Controls: An Ultrasound Study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the mechanical responses of dorsal neck muscles in individuals with whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) versus healthy individuals. Design: This study included 36 individuals with WAD (26 women and 10 men) and 36 healthy controls (26 women and 10 men). Ultrasound imaging with speckle tracking was used to measure deformation and deformation rate in five dorsal neck muscles during a neck extension task. Results: Compared to controls, individuals with WAD showed higher deformation of the semispinalis cervicis (P = 0.02) and multifidus (P = 0.002) muscles and higher deformation rates (P = 0.03 and 0.0001, respectively). Among individuals with WAD, multifidus deformation and deformation rate were significantly associated with pain, disability, and fatigue (r = 0.31-0.46, P = 0.0001-0.01). Conclusion: These findings indicate that the mechanical responses of the deep dorsal neck muscles differ between individuals with WAD and healthy controls, possibly reflecting that these muscles utilize altered strategies while performing a neck extension task. This finding provides new insight into neck muscle pathology in patients with chronic WAD, and may help to improve rehabilitation programs. Copyright (C) 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

from Rehabilitation via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2gepdVW
via IFTTT