Body chart pain location and side-specific physical impairment in subclinical neck pain

To test computer-using students to examine the relationship between location of neck pain as indicated on pain drawings and physical impairments compared with those subjects not reporting pain.

This cross-sectional study enrolled 81 healthy student volunteers at the College of Rehabilitation Science, Daegu University, Korea, aged 18 to 30 years. Outcomes were endurance time of neck muscles and neck range of motion (ROM) sensitization or stretch effects on repeated range tests. Active neck ROM measures were taken twice, 10 minutes apart. Neck muscle endurance time was obtained using a horizontal head-holding test with a 10-minute goal. After all physical measurements were completed, information about any neck pain was collected and 4 groups were formed on the basis of the pain location noted on the body chart.

Sixty-seven subjects experienced recurrent neck pain. Nineteen had right-side pain, another 19 had left-side pain, 29 reported pain on both sides, and 14 did not experience neck pain. Neck muscle endurance time was significantly lower for all pain groups. For extension, left and right rotation movements at the second test, ROM decreased for subjects reporting subclinical pain and increased for those with no pain. Location of the pain to one side was related to the ROM decreased, in that the amount of reduction in the second-test rotation range was significantly greater on the side opposite to the pain.

The location of neck pain that occurs intermittently, but is not present during range testing, affects the second test when the rotation involves stretching of tissue on the side of pain.