Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Physical Therapy - Department of Neuromuscular and Neurology Surgery

Background: Neck pain has become just one widely recognized musculoskeletal problem in the global community. It has been attributed to a number of cervical spine disorders as well as other structures. Walking is a basic human activity that is simple to perform, has a low risk of injury, and has many health benefits. Aim: Objectively present study seemed to be done for investigating if there has been correlation between neck pain characteristics and gait parameters in people who had chronic mechanical neck pain. Material and methods: Twenty-six participants suffering from chronic mechanical neck pain (G1) and twenty-six normal healthy matched subjects (G2) were assessed for neck pain characteristics and gait parameters. The visual analogue scale was applied in order to evaluate intensity of pain, Neck disability Index Arabic version was applied for evaluating neck function, and the Biodex Gait Trainer 2 TM device was applied for evaluating spatiotemporal parameters of gait. Results: in comparison with the controls, study group has demonstrated significant decrease in either walking velocity, both feet step length, and left foot time of support. There were significant correlations between pain intensity, functional disability, and gait parameters in patients with chronic mechanical neck pain. Conclusion: people suffering from chronic mechanical neck pain demonstrated decrease in walking velocity, step length, and time on each foot. These results demonstrated that neck pain seems to have an effect on gait

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