The primary reason is to assess cervical joint ranges of motion with digital goniometry, following a conventional exercise routine in a gymnasium. The secondary purpose is to determine the parameters of normality of digital goniometry for a sample of young subjects without apparent pathology.
This study was a clinical, longitudinal, prospective, comparative, and diagnostic prospective. A total of 35 young adults were included, from whom general variables and cervical joint movement ranges were recorded with a Hawk® brand digital goniometer before and after performing a conventional exercise routine of at least 60 minutes duration in a gymnasium.
Age(years)= 23.02± 3.5, males= 19 (54.3%), females= 16 (45.7%). The mean, standard deviation, and p-value of comparisons of each pre-exercise and post-exercise cervical movement (degrees) are shown. Flexion from 48.6±15.2 to 49.3±14.3 (p=0.701), extension from 45.2±13.8 to 41.5±11.9 (p=0.096), right lateral flexion from 39.6±9.1 to 37.6±9.3 (p=0. 308), left lateral flexion from 40.8±11.3 to 37.3±10.9 (p=0.070), right rotation from 64.8±13.5 to 65.02±11.05 (p=0.923) and left rotation from 64.9±12.3 to 64.9±11.02 (p=0.969). Also, no changes were observed in the coefficient of variation before or after the exercise. Minimum and maximum values (degrees) are shown: flexion 20.8 to 80.5, extension 21.02 to 74.5, right lateral flexion 27.1 to 67.7, left lateral flexion 23.2 to 70.7, right rotation 23.9 to 86.4 and left rotation 34.3 to 93.01.
There is no difference in cervical joint ranges of motion or coefficients of variation following a conventional exercise routine in a gymnasium. This evidences the excellent cervical joint stability conferred by the different anatomical-functional structures. The sample's cervical joint movement ranges differ from those established by the AOOS as standard values.
The cervical anatomical-functional structures confer excellent stability to this region, allowing clinical decisions based on this finding and improving medical and physiotherapeutic interventions in users who perform the exercise and in patients with cervical pathology.
Multicenter studies are needed to establish new values of normal cervical joint movement ranges, using tools such as digital goniometry, whose technology provides greater sensitivity and specificity than those used several decades ago to establish the parameters we consider standard today.
cervical stability
cervical excercise
