Abstract
ObjectivesA tool for measuring neck pain in patients with dizziness is needed to further investigate the relationship between the two symptoms. The objective of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of a hand‐held pressure algometer in measuring pressure pain threshold (PPT) in different cervical regions of dizzy patients.MethodsPPT was measured at two bilateral standardized sites of the neck by a trained physiotherapist in 50 patients with dizziness. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated for intrarater and test–retest reliability. Concurrent validity was assessed by measuring the association between PPT and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) tender points at each site and with the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS).ResultsAlmost perfect intrarater (ICC = 0.815–0.940) and within‐session test–retest (ICC = 0.854–0.906) reliability was found between the measures. On each site, a low PPT predicted a positive ACR tender point at each site (OR = 0.864–0.922). Last, we found a statistical inverse relationship between the PPT and the NPRS (R = −0.52 to −0.66).ConclusionThe study shows that a pressure algometer is a reliable tool for measuring PPT in the neck of dizzy patients. Further, the PPT correlates significantly with other subjective measures of pain indicating that it may be a useful tool for further research.
Highlights
Concurrent neck pain is reported by up to one in three patients suffering from dizziness (Wilhelmsen, Ljunggren, Goplen, Eide, & Nordahl, 2009)
Dizziness may lead to increased pressure sensitivity in the cervical region, due to a build‐up of muscular tension caused by fear of head movement (Furman & Jacob, 2001)
We examined the intrarater and test–retest reliability of a pressure algometer in testing pressure pain threshold (PPT) in the upper and lower neck of dizzy patients
Summary
Concurrent neck pain is reported by up to one in three patients suffering from dizziness (Wilhelmsen, Ljunggren, Goplen, Eide, & Nordahl, 2009). Dizziness may lead to increased pressure sensitivity in the cervical region, due to a build‐up of muscular tension caused by fear of head movement (Furman & Jacob, 2001). The causal relationship between dizziness due to neck pain is controversial (Brandt & Bronstein, 2001). To further investigate the relationship between neck pain and dizziness, a reliable measurement tool is needed. Self‐reported pain is commonly measured using a linear scale such as the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS). The interpretation of pain intensity on such a scale is complicated by the fact that self‐reported pain is affected by the level of organic tissue damage and by psychosocial
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