Research and News
Posts tagged neck pain
Cervicogenic Headache Treatment: What’s the Evidence?
Oct 11th
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Janda's Upper Crossed Syndrome
How many of your patients with neck pain suffer from headaches as well, or vice-versa? Cervicogenic headaches are characterized by unilateral headache radiating from the posterior to anterior head, unilateral upper cervical pain and facet “locking,” which is often aggravated by sustained neck positions. Cervicogenic headaches are thought to result from a convergence of sensory input from the upper cervical spine into the trigeminal nucleus. Interestingly, these patients often exhibit Janda’s Upper Crossed Syndrome.
I recently published a review article on the assessment and management of cervicogenic headaches in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. The article describes the assessment of posture, range of motion, muscle length, muscle strength, joint mobility, breathing patterns, and trigger points. A special test, the Cervical Flexion-Rotation test, can help confirm the diagnosis with ~90% accuracy.
Based on my review of the literature, I recommend a multi-modal layered approach to cervicogenic headaches (or any chronic musculoskeletal pain syndrome for that matter): modalities, manual therapy, and therapeutic exercise. For cervicogenic headache patients, modalities such as TENS, cryotherapy, or low-level laser therapy can be helpful. Spinal manipulative More >
Researchers show Thera-Band Tubing exercise decreases pain in workers
Jun 17th
Previously, Danish researchers reported that 2 minutes of daily Thera-Band® tubing shoulder lateral raise exercise significantly reduced neck and shoulder pain over 10 weeks. As part of their randomized controlled trial, Dr. Lars L. Anderson and his colleagues at the National Research Center for the Working Environment in Copenhagen wanted to know the effects of the exercise on workers with headaches. Click here to see a video of the exercise. 198 office workers with chronic neck/shoulder pain were randomly assigned to either a 2 or 12-minute per day, 5 day a week exercise program, or a control group. After 10 weeks, both exercise groups had significantly fewer headaches than the control group – with a frequency reduction of 43%-56%. Intensity and duration of headaches remained unchanged. As with their previous study, 2 minutes was as effective as 12 minutes of exercise per day.
Dr Andersen stated, “The elastic resistance exercise helps strengthen the muscles around the neck and shoulder that may improve their work capacity, thus making the muscles more efficient and less painful.” Dr. Andersen and his colleagues published their results in a free download in the Scandinavian Journal of Work and Environmental Health.
Danish researchers feature Thera-Band tubing at ACSM
Jun 8th
Part 2 of “Thera-Band Academy well-represented at ACSM annual meeting”
Dr. Lars Andersen presents his poster at ACSM 2011
Researchers in Denmark led by Dr. Lars Andersen have shown that Thera-Band® elastic tubing exercises can significantly reduce shoulder-neck pain. 198 individuals with shoulder-neck pain were randomly assigned to a 2-minute or 12-minute per-day exercise group with Thera-Band exercise tubing with handles. They performed the exercises during their working hours, 5 days a week for 10 weeks. Both groups significantly improved their pain, tenderness and strength. The authors concluded that as little as 2 minute sessions of progressive resistance training per day with Thera-Band tubing results in clinically-relevant reductions in shoulder-neck pain and tenderness. The ACSM issued a press release about this study when it was presented at the meeting. Visit the Neck Pain Exercise page at Thera-BandAcademy.com that describes their study.
Dr. Andersen’s colleagues wanted to determine the physiological effects of different types of elastic resistance training by comparing a high intensity (3RM) exercise with a set of repetitions to failure using a lower resistance level. 15 healthy females performed a lateral raise with Thera-Band Tubing while the EMG level of their neck and shoulder muscles were measured. They found that high levels of muscle activation More >
Thera-Band® Neck Pain Exercise Video Available
Apr 12th
A few months ago, I posted a blog about a new study by Dr. Lars Andersen in Denmark, which showed that a simple Thera-Band® elastic tubing exercise significantly reduced neck and shoulder pain in office workers. We now have a short 1-minute video that demonstrates the neck pain exercise for workers and companies that might be interested in improving productivity and reducing insurance costs. Click on the image below to view the Thera-Band elastic tubing exercise video or link to it here.
In addition, I’ve created a web page with a review of the study, as well as links to the research paper and the video at http://info.thera-bandacademy.com/neckpainexercise. At the bottom of the page, you can also see links to the media coverage in Denmark. Please feel free to share the outcomes of this excellent study with anyone you know who may benefit from a quick, simple, and inexpensive solution to occupational neck pain.
Neck pain in office workers relieved with 2 minutes of Thera-Band exercise!
Feb 7th
Neck pain combined with shoulder pain is a common problem among desk workers, particularly those using a desktop computer. One study noted a 50% incidence of neck/shoulder pain over a 1-year period. Lars Andersen PhD and his colleagues in Copenhagen, Denmark, completed a randomized controlled trial of 198 office workers with neck/shoulder pain and tenderness to palpation. The researchers wanted to develop an “exercise program as simple and feasible as possible.”
They chose Thera-Band® elastic tubing with handles for an exercise routine using only 1 exercise for either 2 or 12 minutes. The subjects were randomly assigned to either a non-exercising control group, a 2-minute exercise group, or a 12-minute exercise group. The exercise groups performed a lateral raise exercise in the scapular plane to 90 degrees of abduction with elastic tubing. The exercises were performed 5 days per week (10 minutes and 60 minutes per week in the 2- and 12-minute groups, respectively) for 10 weeks. Female subjects started with Red Thera-Band resistance tubing, while the male subjects started with Green tubing. Both groups gradually increased their repetitions and resistance to Blue Thera-Band resistance tubing. The 2-minute group performed the exercise for one set to failure, while the 12-minute group performed 5 to 6 More >
