Scandinavian journal of rehabilitation medicine
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Scand J Rehabil Med · Dec 1996
Mobility in the cervico-thoracic motion segment: an indicative factor of musculo-skeletal neck-shoulder pain.
The aim of the study was first to evaluate whether mobility in the cervico-thoracic motion segment is an indicative factor of musculo-skeletal neck-shoulder pain and secondly to compare differences in individual factors between cases and controls for female and male subjects. One-hundred-and-forty-two male electricians and 139 female laundry workers participated in a cross-sectional study. An examination of the Cervico-Thoracic Ratio and a classification of mobility at level C7-T1 was done. ⋯ The factor height showed no significant differences between female or male cases and controls; it did show significant correlation to C7-T1 mobility among female subjects, but not among male subjects. The factors exercise and smoking showed significant differences between cases and controls among female subjects in the ordinary mobility class. The conclusion was that relative flexion mobility is a factor related to the development of neck-shoulder pain rather than the cause of pain.