Comparison of upper posterior neck muscles strength in healthy and chronic tension headache women

Document Type : Original article

Authors

1 1. Professor of Physiotheraphy Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

2 2. Student research committee.MSc of Physiotheraphy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

3 3. Associate Professor of Neurology ,Faculty of Medical Sciences , Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran, Iran.

4 4. Student research committee.PHD of Physiotheraphy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran.

5 5. Associate Professor of Biostatistics, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background and Aim: Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common type of headache in different societies. TTH is a prototypical headache in which myofascial pain of neck muscles can play an important etiological role. Weakness of upper posterior muscles of neck is a common accompaniment of myofascial pain in this region. Thus the purpose of this study was to compare the strength of upper posterior neck muscles in women with chronic tension headache and healthy women.
Materials and Methods: The strength of superior-posterior neck muscles in 33 women (16 chronic tension headache and 17 healthy individuals) were examined by The Power meter. An independent t-test was used to analyze the data and compare the groups.
Results: Results showed a significant difference between women with chronic tension headache and healthy ones (p=0.021). The results also showed inverse relationship between intensity of pain and the strength. (r=-0.65، p=0.006)
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, women with chronic tension headache had lower posterior upper cervical muscles strength than healthy controls. These results may reflect a disturbance in the upper posterior neck muscles musculoskeletal system in the patients which may be primary to TTH or secondary and as a result of TTH. Further studies are required to extend our knowledge in this area.

Keywords


  1. Bernstein, Jonathan A., Roger W. Fox, Vincent T. Martin, and Richard F. Lockey. "Headache and facial pain: differential diagnosis and treatment." The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice 1, no. 3 (2013): 242-251.##
  2. Jensen, Rigmor. "Pathophysiological mechanisms of tension‐type headache: a review of epidemiological and experimental studies." Cephalalgia 19, no. 6 (1999): 602-621.##
  3. Schwartz, Brian S., Walter F. Stewart, David Simon, and Richard B. Lipton. "Epidemiology of tension-type headache." Jama 279, no. 5 (1998): 381-383.##
  4. Torelli, P., R. Jensen, and J. Olesen. "Physiotherapy for tension‐type headache: a controlled study." Cephalalgia 24, no. 1 (2004): 29-36.##
  5. Chowdhury, Debashish. "Tension type headache." Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology 15, no. Suppl 1 (2012): S83.##
  6. Russell, Michael Bjørn, Niels Levi, Jūratė Šaltytė-Benth, and Kirsten Fenger. "Tension-type headache in adolescents and adults: a population based study of 33,764 twins." European journal of epidemiology 21, no. 2 (2006): 153-160.##
  7. Edmeads, John, H. Findlay, P. Tugwell, W. Pryse-Phillips, R. F. Nelson, and T. J. Murray. "Impact of migraine and tension-type headache on life-style, consulting behaviour, and medication use: a Canadian population survey." The Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Le journal canadien des sciences neurologiques 20, no. 2 (1993): 131-137.##
  8. Rasmussen, Birthe Krogh, Rigmor Jensen, and Jes Olesen. "Impact of headache on sickness absence and utilisation of medical services: a Danish population study." Journal of epidemiology and community health 46, no. 4 (1992): 443-446.##
  9. Jensen, Rigmor, Anders Fuglsang-Frederiksen, and Jes Olesen. "Quantitative surface EMG of pericranial muscles in headache. A population study." Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology/Evoked Potentials Section 93, no. 5 (1994): 335-344.##
  10. Jensen, Rigmor, Lars Bendtsen, and Jes Olesen. "Muscular factors are of importance in tension‐type headache." Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain 38, no. 1 (1998): 10-17.##
  11. Bendtsen, Lars, and César Fernández-de-la-Peñas. "The role of muscles in tension-type headache." Current pain and headache reports 15, no. 6 (2011): 451-458.##
  12. Fernández‐de‐las‐Peñas, César, Cristina Alonso‐Blanco, Maria Luz Cuadrado, Robert D. Gerwin, and Juan A. Pareja. "Myofascial Trigger Points and Their Relationship to Headache Clinical Parameters in Chronic Tension‐Type Headache." Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain 46, no. 8 (2006): 1264-1272. ##
  13. Davidoff, R. A. "Trigger points and myofascial pain: toward understanding how they affect headaches." Cephalalgia 18, no. 7 (1998): 436-448.##
  14. McPartland, John M., and Raymond R. Brodeur. "Rectus capitis posterior minor: a small but important suboccipital muscle." Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 3, no. 1 (1999): 30-35.##
  15. Fernández-de-las-Penas, César, María Luz Cuadrado, Lars Arendt-Nielsen, Hong-You Ge, and Juan A. Pareja. "Association of cross-sectional area of the rectus capitis posterior minor muscle with active trigger points in chronic tension-type headache: a pilot study." American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation 87, no. 3 (2008): 197-203.##
  16. Rezasoltani, Asghar, Ahmadipor Ali-Reza, Khademi-Kalantari Khosro, and Rahimi Abbass. "Preliminary study of neck muscle size and strength measurements in females with chronic non-specific neck pain and healthy control subjects." Manual therapy 15, no. 4 (2010): 400-403.##
  17. Fernández‐de‐las‐Peñas, C., A. Bueno, J. Ferrando, J. M. Elliott, M. L. Cuadrado, and J. A. Pareja. "Magnetic resonance imaging study of the morphometry of cervical extensor muscles in chronic tension‐type headache." Cephalalgia 27, no. 4 (2007): 355-362. ##
  18. Lin, Ya-Jung, Huei-Ming Chai, and Shwu-Fen Wang. "Reliability of thickness measurements of the dorsal muscles of the upper cervical spine: an ultrasonographic study." journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy 39, no. 12 (2009): 850-857 ##
  19. Graven‐Nielsen, Thomas, Hans Lund, Lars Arendt‐Nielsen, Bente Danneskiold‐Samsøe, and Henning Bliddal. "Inhibition of maximal voluntary contraction force by experimental muscle pain: a centrally mediated mechanism." Muscle & nerve 26, no. 5 (2002): 708-712.##
  20. Mbada, Chidozie Emmanuel, Olusola Ayanniyi, Samuel Olusegun Ogunlade, Elkanah Ayodele Orimolade, Ajibola Babatunde Oladiran, and Abiola Oladele Ogundele. "Rehabilitation of Back Extensor Muscles' Inhibition in Patients with Long-Term Mechanical Low-Back Pain." ISRN Rehabilitation 2013 (2013).##
  21. Mbada, C. E., O. Ayanniyi, and S. O. Ogunlade. "Effect of static and dynamic back extensor muscles endurance exercise on pain intensity, activity limitation and participation restriction in patients with Long-Term Mechanical Low-Back Pain." Rehabilitacja Medyczna 15, no. 3 (2011): 11-20.##
  22. Bandholm, Thomas, Lars Rasmussen, Per Aagaard, Louise Diederichsen, and Bente Rona Jensen. "Effects of experimental muscle pain on shoulder-abduction force steadiness and muscle activity in healthy subjects." European journal of applied physiology 102, no. 6 (2008): 643-650.##
  23. Zulauf, Crystal. "Causes of muscle weakness." (2009).##
  24. Oksanen, Airi, Tapani Pöyhönen, Liisa Metsähonkala, Pirjo Anttila, Heikki Hiekkanen, Katri Laimi, and Jouko J. Salminen. "Neck flexor muscle fatigue in adolescents with headache–An electromyographic study." European Journal of Pain 11, no. 7 (2007): 764-772.##
  25. Madsen, B. K., K. Søgaard, L. L. Andersen, J. H. Skotte, and R. H. Jensen. "EHMTI-0163. Reduced neck and shoulder strength in patients with tension-type headache. A case control study." The journal of headache and pain 15, no. 1 (2014): 1-1.##
  26. Verbunt, Jeanine A., Henk A. Seelen, Johan W. Vlaeyen, Eric J. Bousema, Geert J. van der Heijden, Peter H. Heuts, and J. Andre Knottnerus. "Pain-related factors contributing to muscle inhibition in patients with chronic low back pain: an experimental investigation based on superimposed electrical stimulation." The Clinical journal of pain 21, no. 3 (2005): 232-240.##
  27. Ylinen, Jari, Petri Salo, Matti Nykänen, Hannu Kautiainen, and Arja Häkkinen. "Decreased isometric neck strength in women with chronic neck pain and the repeatability of neck strength measurements." Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation 85, no. 8 (2004): 1303-1308.##
  28. Prins, Maarten R., and Peter Van der Wurff. "Females with patellofemoral pain syndrome have weak hip muscles: a systematic review." Australian journal of physiotherapy 55, no. 1 (2009): 9-15.##
  29. Fernández‐de‐las‐Peñas, César, Cristina Alonso‐Blanco, Maria Luz Cuadrado, Robert D. Gerwin, and Juan A. Pareja. "Myofascial Trigger Points and Their Relationship to Headache Clinical Parameters in Chronic Tension‐Type Headache." Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain 46, no. 8 (2006): 1264-1272.##
Volume 4, Issue 3 - Serial Number 3
September and October 2015
Pages 57-64
  • Receive Date: 16 November 2014
  • Revise Date: 16 February 2015
  • Accept Date: 05 April 2015
  • First Publish Date: 23 September 2015