Determining the relationship between cervical lordosis and neck complaints

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Radiology
• Chiropractic Medicine

Background:

• Cervical lordosis, the natural inward curve of the neck, is crucial for spinal health.
• Deviations from normal cervical lordosis, such as flattening or reversal, are often associated with neck pain and dysfunction.
• Understanding the relationship between cervical lordosis and neck complaints is essential for effective diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of a
• functionally normal
• cervical lordosis.
• To investigate the association between cervical lordosis, forward head posture, and the occurrence of neck complaints.

Main Methods:

• Lateral cervical X-rays of 277 individuals were analyzed using the posterior tangent method to measure cervical lordosis (C2-C7).
• Anterior weight bearing was assessed by measuring the horizontal distance from C2 to C7.
• Data were categorized by cervical complaint status, age, sex, and lordosis angle.

Main Results:

• A cervical lordosis of 20 degrees or less was significantly associated with cervicogenic symptoms (P < .001).
• Individuals with cervical pain were 18 times more likely to have a lordosis of 0 degrees or less compared to those without complaints.
• Males exhibited greater median cervical lordosis than females (20 vs 14 degrees, P = .016), particularly in the 40-49 age group.

Conclusions:

• A statistically significant link exists between cervical pain and lordosis measuring less than 20 degrees.
• A "clinically normal" cervical lordosis range is identified as 31 to 40 degrees.
• Maintaining cervical lordosis within the 31-40 degree range may serve as a therapeutic target in chiropractic care.