Whole report - Anglo-European College of Chiropractic

Cervical Functional Parameters in
Subjects Submitted to Cervical Fatigue
and Subjects that have Suffered a
Whiplash Injury
Guy Gosselin, DC
(PhD Candidature, University of Southampton)
The aim of this project is to understand the effects
of muscle fatigue and whiplash on cervical
function and to identify the effects of muscle
fatigue and cervical whiplash on the vestibular
(balance) and cervical somatosensory (neck)
components of neck function. This should eventually
provide professionals involved in treating patients that
have suffered a whiplash injury with additional
information necessary to optimise the rehabilitative
process.
The first part of the past year has been spent on
investigating the validity and reliability of the
equipment. This was followed by the first
experimentation, which has been written up and
submitted for publication. (Gosselin, Rassoulian and
Brown, 2003)
The second and third experiments are presently being
concluded. These are: “Effects of neck extensor
muscles fatigue on head repositioning” and
“Electromyography of the neck extensor muscle during
an isometric contraction”. During the next months, a
specially developed linear oscillator used in the
production of vestibular fatigue will be validated.
Gosselin G, Rassoulian H and Brown I. Effects of neck extensors
muscle fatigue on balance. Clinical Biomechanics 2003. Submitted
for publication.
This project is supported by the ECU Research Fund, PPP
Foundation, Steens Industrier S/A and the TAM club.
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The Intra-Articular Synovial Folds of the
Cervical Spine
Alexandra Webb BSc, MChiro
(PhD Candidature, University of Southampton)
Autopsy studies of the victims of motor vehicle
trauma have demonstrated damage to the
synovial joints of the cervical spine, including
haemarthrosis, contusions of the intra-articular synovial
folds, rupture of the joint capsule and occult fractures
of the articular processes. Thus these structures are
considered to be possible sources of neck pain and
headache following trauma to the cervical spine.
Previous studies have examined the intra-articular
synovial folds of the cervical spine in vitro. However,
different methods of morphological investigation have
been used and the descriptions and classifications of
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the synovial folds are conflicting. Hence,
themorphology of these structures, their function and
their clinical relevance remains a controversial issue.
During the last 12 months work has progessed in the
Department of Anatomical Sciences (University of
Southampton) developing a technique for assessing
the morphology of the intra-articular synovial folds in
the cervical spine. The data that have been collected
are currently being analysed in conjunction with
histological material. Preliminary Magnetic Resonance
Imaging (MRI) experiments have been conducted at
Southampton General Hospital and will continue over
the course of 2003.
This project is supported by the ECU Research Fund.
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The Role of Eye:Neck Coordination in the
Rehabilitation of Cervical Spine Pain
Neil Osborne, BSc(Chiro), DC, FCC(Orth), FRSH
(PhD Candidature, Brighton University)
Over the last few decades, researchers have
noted that individuals reporting chronic neck
pain (especially that of traumatic onset) seem
to have a disruption in the reflexive relationship
between eye and cervical spine movement.
Under normal circumstances, fast gaze (saccades) of
the eyes in the direction of a neck movement
precedes the actual neck movement itself. This
cervico-ocular reflex causes the eyes to fix on an
object and, throughout the full range of the neck
movement, necessarily leads to a slow contralateral
gaze of the eyes. It is this reflex association that some
have noted becomes disrupted in cervical spine pain
patients. Indeed, it has been reported that saccadic
movement may become ‘interrupted’ following a few
days of immobilisation in a cervical collar.
Others have devised exercises to reinforce this
eye:neck relationship and have demonstrated an
improvement in both neck pain and reflex control
following a period of training. Indeed, with practise, it
seems that a blindfolded patient may become better
at the task of accurate head repositioning and be able
to reduce their neck pain in the process.
Whilst more and more work is being developed in this
field, there is a considerable lack of tangible evidence
to clearly underpin the actual relationship between
eye and neck movement. Indeed, it is yet to be firmly
established whether eye movement is truly impaired
in the manner that it is claimed, in neck pain patients.
The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the
relationship between eye and neck movements in
both normal individuals and cervical spine pain
patients.
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