title: Clinical symptoms related to musculoskeletal neck-shoulder pain and mobility in the cervico-thoracic spine.
abstract: In a cross-sectional study 142 male and 139 female workers participated in a self-report questionnaire and a clinical examination. The aim of this study was to use the cervico-thoracic ratio (CTR), a clinical method for measuring segmental mobility between C7 and T5, to evaluate the influence of segmental mobility in neck-shoulder pain and different subjectively experienced symptoms. The study showed that reduced relative mobility at levels C7-T1 and T1-T2 significantly predicted neck-shoulder pain and the symptom weakness in the hands. The strongest relationship between segmental mobility and symptoms was found among subjects classified as having an inverse C7-T1 function, defined as equal or less mobility in motion segment C7-T1 compared to T1-T2. Reduced mobility explained 14% of neck-shoulder pain and 15% of weakness in the hands. It is suggested that deviation from synchronous distribution of mobility between motion segments C7-T1 and T1-T2 might be a factor provoking joint mechano receptors.
authors.affiliation: Research Foundation for Occupational Safety and Health, Swedish Construction Industry, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Norlander
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nordgren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013131:Spine / Q000503:physiopathology*