ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2021
Associations of neck muscle strength and cervical spine mobility with future neck pain and disability: a prospective 16-year study.
Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05391997 (Comparative Effects of Cervical Extension Traction Exercises With and Without Modified Cervical and Shoulder Retraction Exercises on Pain, Disability and Cobb's Angle in Patients With Non-specific Neck Pain), which is not on this map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Comparative Effects of Cervical Extension Traction Exercises With and Without Modified Cervical and Shoulder Retraction Exercises on Pain, Disability and Cobb's Angle in Patients With Non-specific Neck Pain
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Physical and Psychological Predictors for Persistent and Recurrent Non-Specific Neck Pain: A Systematic Review.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2025Pooled it
- Effectiveness of high-intensity laser therapy in patients with spinal radiculopathy: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Lasers in medical science · 2025Pooled it
- Combination of Manual Therapy and Dry Needling Effectively Improves Acute Neck Pain and Muscular Tone and Stiffness in Combat Sports Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Study.Journal of sports science & medicine · 2024Trial
- Effect of a four-month indirect vision training program on ergonomic posture and class I cavity preparation performance in dental students.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Neck pain and endurance capacity of deep cervical flexor muscles in dental students: a cross-sectional analysis.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Article
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- Article
- Effects of Telerehabilitation on Pain and Disability in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Assessing Non-Specific Neck Pain through Pose Estimation from Images Based on Ensemble Learning.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Controversial Outcomes in Neck Rehabilitation between Surgically and Conservatively Treated Patients-Results of an Observational Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Factors associated with reduced risk of musculoskeletal disorders among office workers: a cross-sectional study 2017 to 2020.BMC public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNeck pain has been associated with weaker neck muscle strength and decreased cervical spine range of motion. However, whether neck muscle strength or cervical spine mobility predict later neck disability has not been demonstrated. In this 16-year prospective study, we investigated whether neck muscle strength and cervical spine mobility are associated with future neck pain and related disability in women pain-free at baseline.
methodsMaximal isometric neck muscle strength and passive range of motion (PROM) of the cervical spine of 220 women (mean age 40, standard deviation (SD) 12 years) were measured at baseline between 2000 and 2002. We conducted a postal survey 16 years later to determine whether any subjects had experienced neck pain and related disability. Linear regression analysis adjusted for age and body mass index was used to determine to what extent baseline neck strength and PROM values were associated with future neck pain and related disability assessed using the Neck Disability Index (NDI).
resultsThe regression analysis Beta coefficient remained below 0.1 for all the neck strength and PROM values, indicating no association between neck pain and related disability. Of the 149 (68%) responders, mean NDI was lowest (3.3, SD 3.8) in participants who had experienced no neck pain (n = 50), second lowest (7.7, SD 7.1) in those who had experienced occasional neck pain (n = 94), and highest (19.6, SD 22.0) in those who had experienced chronic neck pain (n = 5).
conclusionsThis 16-year prospective study found no evidence for an association between either neck muscle strength or mobility and the occurrence in later life of neck pain and disability. Therefore, screening healthy subjects for weaker neck muscle strength or poorer cervical spine mobility cannot be recommended for preventive purposes.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.