A clinical study based observation on prevalence of neck pain among patients attending National Institute of Unani Medicine, India

Abstract

Aim:Waja ul Unuq (Neck/ Cervical pain) is one of the most common reasons for medical consultation, but it is usually short lived and responds to symptomatic measures. As reported about 26 71% of the adult population can experience and recall an episode of neck pain in their lifetime. Most patients with acute neck pain, with or without radicular symptoms have musculoskeletal or degenerative disorders. It is estimated that every year more than 50% of adults experience some degree of cervical pain due to faulty posture and 60–80% of older adults experience cervical pain due to degenerative changes. This study was conducted as a clinical trial to assess the efficacies of certain regimens from which the data on prevalence of neck pain among the study participants were collected and compiled to generate data for future epidemiological studies. Methods: As part of single-centred clinical trial, prevalence study was conducted over a period of 13 months in patients of cervical spondylosis (neck pain). A total of 250 patients between the age group of 20-70 years, both gender, having neck pain with or without radicular symptoms were screened for cervical spondylosis from the musculoskeletal OPD, IPD and radiological unit of National Institute of Unani Medicine Hospital, Bangalore. Results & Conclusion: This study revealed that neck pain is more prevalent among the middle aged individuals, with the body mass index ranges between 26-30, belongs to middle class and occupationally engaged manual works with axial loading, faulty posture adaptation, and slightly higher in females and highest among Balgami mizaj (temperamentally phlegmatic) people. The prevalent morbidities in patients of neck pain were cervical spondylosis without and with complication like Vertebro basilar insufficiency, myelopathy, and the others nonspecific conditions includes history of trauma, cervical rib, ankylosing spondylosis, and psoriatic arthropathy.