Trunk, pelvic and hip kinematics during the Stork test in pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain, asymptomatic pregnant and non-pregnant women.

Background: Pelvic girdle pain is prevalent during pregnancy, and women affected report weight-bearing activities to be their main disability. The Stork test is a commonly used single-leg-stance test. As clinicians report specific movement patterns in those with pelvic girdle pain, we aimed to investigate the influence of both pregnancy and pelvic girdle pain on performance of the Stork test.

Reliability and responsiveness of the Norwegian version of the Neck Disability Index.

Background and aim The Norwegian version of the Neck Disability Index (NDI) has been widely used in previous studies. To our knowledge, the test-retest reliability and responsiveness of the NDI have not been investigated. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the test-retest reliability and responsiveness of the Norwegian version of the NDI in neck pain patients seen in a specialized outpatient clinic.

Muscle activity and head kinematics in unconstrained movements in subjects with chronic neck pain; cervical motor dysfunction or low exertion motor output?

Background: Chronic neck pain after whiplash associated disorders (WAD) may lead to reduced displacement and peak velocity of neck movements. Dynamic neck movements in people with chronic WAD are also reported to display altered movement patterns such as increased irregularity, which is suggested to signify impaired motor control. As movement irregularity is strongly related to the velocity and displacement of movement, we wanted to examine whether the increased irregularity in chronic WAD could be accounted for by these factors.

The smoothness of unconstrained head movements is velocity-dependent.

Non-smooth, irregular movements reported in persons with neck pain have been suggested to signify motor impairment. However, irregular movements are additionally observed during slow movements in healthy participants. We therefore examined whether the smoothness of head movements is related to the movement speed in 26 healthy participants.

The determinants of function and disability in neck patients referred to a specialized outpatient clinic.

Aim/objectives/background: Considerable attention has been paid to assessing the risk factors for the development of disability following neck pain (NP) in the general population, but we still lack knowledge regarding disability in NP patients referred to a specialist level of care. This study investigated the associations among the socio-demographic characteristics, work ability, self-reported pain, emotional distress, fear of movement and disability of NP patients referred to a specialised neck and back outpatient clinic. In total, 221 patients participated in this cross-sectional study, which was conducted from December 2007 to December 2009.

Measurement properties of the norwegian version of the neck disability index in chronic neck pain.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Objective: Neck pain is common in adults and often follows a chronic course accompanied by considerable functional reduction. Longstanding neck pain is often associated with problems engaging in work, emotional distress, and fear of movement.

Linking self-determined functional problems of patients with neck pain to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF).

Objective: To describe commonly reported self-determined functional problems in patients with neck pain and to evaluate their fit to the components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF).

Methods: Overall, 249 patients were included in this cross-sectional study that comprised patients with neck pain referred to the outpatient clinic at Oslo University Hospital (2007-2009). Patients were asked to report their three most significant functional problems on the Patient-Specific Functional Scale, a self-determined measure of function.