title: Neck muscle endurance and head posture: A comparison between adolescents with and without neck pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main aims of this study were to compare the neck flexor and extensor endurance and forward head posture between adolescents with and without neck pain. The secondary aims were to explore potential associations between muscles endurance, head posture and neck pain characteristics and to assess intra-rater reliability of the measurements used.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adolescents with neck pain (n = 35) and age-matched asymptomatic adolescents (n = 35) had their forward head posture, neck flexor endurance and neck extensor endurance measured using clinical tests. Intra-rater reliability was also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forward head posture and neck flexor and extensor endurance tests showed moderate to almost perfect intra-rater reliability (ICC between 0.58 and 0.88). Adolescents with neck pain showed significantly less forward head posture (neck pain = 46.62 ± 4.92; asymptomatic = 44.18°± 3.64°, p > 0.05) and less neck flexor (neck pain = 24.50 ± 23.03s; asymptomatic = 35.89 ± 21.53s, p > 0.05) and extensor endurance (neck pain = 12.6.64 ± 77.94s; asymptomatic = 168.66 ± 74.77s, p > 0.05) than asymptomatic adolescents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that changes in posture and neck muscle endurance are a feature of adolescents with neck pain.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Aveiro, Escola Superior de Saúde da Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Carolina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Aveiro, Escola Superior de Saúde da Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Piso 2, Edifício Nascente, Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: asilva@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Anabela G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D011174:Portugal; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
keywords: Adolescents; Endurance; Forward head posture; Neck pain