Altered postural sway in patients suffering from non-specific neck pain and whiplash associated disorder - A systematic review of the literature
2011

Postural Sway in Neck Pain Patients

Sample size: 10 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Alexander Ruhe, René Fejer, Bruce Walker

Primary Institution: Murdoch University

Hypothesis

Are there significant differences in center of pressure measures in patients with non-specific neck pain or whiplash-associated disorder compared to healthy controls?

Conclusion

Patients with neck pain exhibit greater postural instability than healthy controls, especially those with whiplash-associated disorder.

Supporting Evidence

  • Patients with neck pain have increased center of pressure excursions compared to healthy individuals.
  • The difference in postural sway is more pronounced in patients with whiplash-associated disorder.
  • Statistical significance was observed in various conditions, particularly with eyes open.

Takeaway

People with neck pain have a harder time balancing than those without neck pain, especially if they have whiplash.

Methodology

Systematic literature review comparing center of pressure measures in neck pain patients to healthy controls.

Potential Biases

Variability in participant demographics and pain assessment methods may introduce bias.

Limitations

Heterogeneity in study designs and small sample sizes limited the ability to pool data.

Participant Demographics

Participants included both genders, primarily aged 20-40 years, with varying pain durations.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/2045-709X-19-13

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