title: Function in patients with cervical radiculopathy or chronic whiplash-associated disorders compared with healthy volunteers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purposes of this study were to examine whether any differences in function and health exist between patients with cervical radiculopathy (CR) due to disk disease scheduled for surgery and patients with chronic whiplash-associated disorders (WADs) and to compare measures of patients' physical function with those obtained from healthy volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional study of patients with CR (n = 198) and patients with chronic WAD (n = 215). Patient data were compared with raw data previously obtained from healthy people. Physical measures included cervical active range of motion, neck muscle endurance, and hand grip strength. Self-rated measures included pain intensity (visual analog scale), neck disability (Neck Disability Index), self-efficacy (Self-Efficacy Scale), and health-related quality of life (EuroQol 5-dimensional self-classifier).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patient groups exhibited significantly lower performance than the healthy group in all physical measures (P < .0005) except for neck muscle endurance in flexion for women (P > .09). There was a general trend toward worse results in the CR group than the WAD group, with significant differences in neck active range of motion, left hand strength for women, pain intensity, Neck Disability Index, EuroQol 5-dimensional self-classifier, and Self-Efficacy Scale (P < .0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients had worse values than healthy individuals in almost all physical measures. There was a trend toward worse results for CR than WAD patients.
authors.affiliation: Guest Researcher, NHMRC CCRE (Spinal Pain, Injury and Health), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Associate Professor, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. Electronic address: Anneli.Peolsson@liu.se.
authors.forename: Anneli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peolsson
authors.affiliation: PhD Student, Department Medical and Health Sciences, Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Physical Therapist, Rehab Väst, County Council of Östergötland, Motala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria Landén
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ludvigsson
authors.affiliation: PhD Student, Department Medical and Health Sciences, Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wibault
authors.affiliation: Doctor, Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Head, Department of Physical Therapy, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Åsa
authors.initials: Å
authors.lastname: Dedering
authors.affiliation: PhD Student, Department Medical and Health Sciences, Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Physical Therapist, Centre for Clinical Research Sörmland, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gunnel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peterson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012737:Sex Factors; D064232:Visual Analog Scale; D014911:Whiplash Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Cervical Vertebrae; Neck Pain; Outcome Measures; Radiculopathy; Whiplash Injuries