Prevalence of Deep Neck Flexor Weakness and Deep Neck Extensor Tightness in College-going Students Suffering from Cervicogenic Headache
Tapas Kumar Pal *
Department of Physiotherapy, Nopany Institute of Healthcare Studies, 2C, Nando Mullick Lane, Kolkata - 700006, West Bengal, India.
Soumyadeep Chaudhuri
Nopany Institute of Healthcare Studies, India.
Tanusree Basak
Department of Physiotherapy, Nopany Institute of Healthcare Studies, 2C, Nando Mullick Lane, Kolkata - 700006, West Bengal, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Cervicogenic headache (CGH) is generated from the upper three cervical vertebrae, which generally cause dull, achy pain in the head. It lasts one hour to one week. It estimates 15% to 20% of all headache disorders. College students are more addicted to smartphones due to internet addiction and online education. They are more prone to develop cervicogenic headache due to anomaly in the upper cervical vertebrae. In the previous studies it has been found people suffering from cervicogenic headache have alteration in strength in deep neck flexors and they develop trigger points in deep neck extensors.
Although the assessment of deep neck flexors strength and deep neck extensor tightness is done in other studies separately. But to the best of our knowledge, no studies have exposed the correlation between the prevalence of both deep neck flexor weakness and deep neck extensor tightness in an individual suffering from cervicogenic headache in Kolkata. So, there is a greater need to find the prevalence of Deep neck flexor weakness and Deep neck extensor tightness in college-going students suffering from cervicogenic Headache.
Methodology: A Cross-Sectional Survey study was conducted among 300 college students within the age group of 18 to 30 years. Participants were assessed for smartphone addiction using smartphone addiction scale (SAS), which is a 1-6 point scale containing 48 questions related to smartphone addiction. Participants scored above 40% out of 288 are included in the study. The participants were assessed for deep neck extensor (DNE) tightness for both left and right suboccipital musculature using pain pressure threshold algometry (PPT) and for deep neck flexor (DNF) strength using pressure biofeedback stabilizer (PBS).
The obtained data were analysed using descriptive statistics of Mean, Standard deviations, Minimum and Maximum values of continuous data and frequency and percentage values of nominal and ordinal data. The statistical package for the social science SPSS trial version 27 was used for data analysis. The correlation between the left DNE with DNF and right DNE with DNF is established using Pearson correlation test.
Results: The Pearson correlation for DNF with right DNE was positive, 1 for DNF and 0.074 for right DNE. The Pearson correlation for DNF with left DNE was negative, 1 for DNF and -0.093 for left DNE.
Discussion: The aim of the present study was to find the Prevalence of Deep neck flexor weakness and Deep neck extensor tightness in college-going smartphone addicted students suffering from cervicogenic headache and to find the correlation between deep neck flexors weakness with right and left deep neck extensor tightness.
The study was cross-sectional survey type, which found positive correlation for deep neck flexor weakness with right deep neck extensor tightness and negative correlation for deep neck flexor with left deep neck extensor tightness, which gave us an idea regarding text neck syndrome in smartphone addicts due to which the more right handedness right deep neck extensor tightness have positive correlation with deep neck flexor weakness.
Conclusion: This study signifies that deep neck flexor weakness and right deep neck extensor tightness and trigger point formation is having a positive correlation. It means deep neck flexor weakness may lead the formation of trigger point formation at right deep neck extensor muscles.
Keywords: Smartphone addiction, cervicogenic headache, deep neck flexor, deep neck extensor