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Research Report
Background and Purpose. Little is known about the relationship among impairments, functional limitations, and disability in people with cervical spine disorders (CSD) despite the fact that these concepts are routinely used in clinical practice. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among commonly assessed impairment, functional limitation, and disability measures in patients with CSD. A secondary purpose was to determine the influence of payment source and time since onset of symptoms on these same measures. Subjects. Eighty patients (mean age=45.7 years, SD=15.9, range= 20-88) with CSD who were referred for physical therapy participated in the study. Methods. Data were obtained for 3 measures of impairment, 2 measures of functional limitation, and 3 measures of selfreported disability during the initial visit. Results. All 3 sets of variables (ie, impairment, functional limitation, disability) correlated with each other, with the highest correlation occurring between the impairment measures and the functional limitation measures (r=.82). Other correlations were noted between individual variables. There was no effect of payment type or time since onset of symptoms on the variables. Conclusion and Discussion. Positive correlations were noted among the 3 sets of measures, which supports the assumption that impairments, functional limitations, and disability are related in patients with CSD. [Hermann KM, Reese CS. Relationships among selected measures of impairment, functional limitation, and disability in patients with cervical spine disorders. Phys Then: 2001;81:903-914.]
Key Words: Cervical spine, Neck pain, Physical examination.
Cervical spine disorders (CSD) are a common cause of neck pain. Population-based surveys have shown lifetime prevalence rates for neck vain between 67% and 71 %1,2 whereas between 13% and 22% of the population in industrialized society experiences neck pain at any point in time.1,3 Cervical spine disorders are not just limited to adults. A recent survey of Finnish high school students showed that 21% of women and 10% of men experienced neck or shoulder pain at least once per week.4 Cervical spine disorders also account for a substantial number of physical therapy outpatient visits each year. In one report, CSD accounted for 26% of outpatients seeking physical therapy treatment.5
When patients with CSD first see a physical therapist, an examination process should occur so that a plan of care can be established...