title: Neck muscle vibration can improve sensorimotor function in patients with neck pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  People with neck pain display a diminished joint position sense and disturbed postural control, which is thought to be a result of impaired somatosensory afferent activity and/or integration. Afferent processing can be artificially manipulated by vibration and was shown to reduce motor performance in healthy subjects. However, the effect of vibration on sensorimotor function in neck pain patients is scarcely investigated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of neck muscle vibration on joint position sense and postural control in neck pain subjects and healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen neck pain patients and 10 healthy controls participated in the present study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cervical joint position sense and dynamic and static postural stability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Short-term, targeted neck muscle vibration with 100 Hz was applied after baseline measurement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vibration had opposite effects in patients and healthy subjects. Patients showed improved joint position sense (p<.01) and reduced dynamic postural sway (p<.05) after vibration, whereas vibration resulted in reduced joint position sense acuity (p<.05) and a nonsignificant increase in postural sway in healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study showing an improved motor performance after neck muscle vibration in patients with neck pain. Thus, vibration may be used to counteract sensorimotor impairment of the cervical spine. Potential underlying mechanisms are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Fribourg, Department of Medicine, Unit of Sports Science, Chemin du Musée 3, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland; Academy for Health Professions, Institute of Applied Science of the Human Movement System, Maximilianstraße 20, 67433 Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany. Electronic address: konstantin.beinert@unifr.ch.
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Beinert
authors.affiliation: University of Fribourg, Department of Medicine, Unit of Sports Science, Chemin du Musée 3, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.affiliation: University of Fribourg, Department of Medicine, Unit of Sports Science, Chemin du Musée 3, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Taube
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000503:physiopathology; D056228:Feedback, Sensory / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D020886:Somatosensory Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014732:Vibration / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cervical joint position sense; Neck pain; Postural control; Proprioception; Sensory reweighting; Vibration