Scientific References
Determining the relationship between Cervical Lordosis and Neck Complaints
PUBLISHED: J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2005 Mar-Apr;28(3):187-93. Pub Med: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15855907
AUTHORS: McAviney J, Schulz D, Bock R, Harrison DE, Holland B.
RESULTS: Patients with lordosis of 20 degrees or less were more likely to have cervicogenic symptoms.
The association between cervical pain and lordosis of 0 degrees or less was significant.
Patients with cervical pain had less lordosis and this was consistent over all age ranges.
CONCLUSION: We found a statistically significant association between cervical pain and lordosis < 20 degrees and a “clinically normal” range for cervical lordosis of 31 degrees to 40 degrees.
Maintenance of a lordosis in the range of 31 degrees to 40 degrees could be a clinical goal for chiropractic treatment.
Cervical Cord Compression and Whole-Spine Sagittal Balance
Published: World Neurosurg. 2019 Oct;130:e709-e714. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.06.198. Epub 2019 Jul 4.
Authors: Yuk CD1, Kim TH2, Park MS2, Kim SW2, Chang HG2, Kim JH1, Ahn JH1, Chang IB1, Song JH1, Oh JK3.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.
- Department of Orthopedics, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.
OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate the relationship between cervical cord compression and factors related to whole-spine sagittal balance.
CONCLUSIONS: Cervical cord compression is more likely to develop in patients with sagittal imbalance. It is important to use whole-spine radiograph and whole-spine T2 scout magnetic resonance imaging to analyze CCI in these patients.
Decreased Vertebral Artery Haemodynamics in Patients with Loss of Cervical Lordosis
Published: Med Sci Monit. 2016 Feb 15;22:495-500. Referenced in Pub Med: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26876295
Authors: Bulut MD, Alpayci M, Şenköy E, Bora A, Yazmalar L, Yavuz A1, Gülşen İ.
BACKGROUND: Because loss of cervical lordosis leads to disrupted biomechanics, the natural lordotic curvature is considered to be an ideal posture for the cervical spine. The vertebral arteries proceed in the transverse foramen of each cervical vertebra.
CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed a significant association between loss of cervical lordosis and decreased vertebral artery hemodynamics, including diameter, flow volume, and peak systolic velocity.
Modelling of the Sagittal Cervical Spine as a method to discriminate Hypolordosis
PUBLISHED: Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2004 Nov 15;29(22):2485-92. Pub Med: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15543059
TITLE: Modelling of the sagittal cervical spine as a method to discriminate hypolordosis: results of elliptical and circular modelling in 72 asymptomatic subjects, 52 acute neck pain subjects, and 70 chronic neck pain subjects.
AUTHORS: Harrison DD1, Harrison DE, Janik TJ, Cailliet R, Ferrantelli JR, Haas JW, Holland B.
CONCLUSIONS: The mean cervical lordosis for all groups could be closely modelled with a circle. Pain groups had hypolordosis and larger radiuses of curvature compared with the normal group.
A Normal Sagittal Spinal Configuration: A Desirable Clinical Outcome
PUBLISHED: J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1996 Jul-Aug;19(6):398-405. Pub Med: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8864971
AUTHORS: Harrison DD, Troyanovich SJ, Harrison DE, Janik TJ, Murphy DJ.
CONCLUSION: The usual, typical or normal configuration of the cervical spine in the sagittal dimension is a lordosis with a range of 16.5-66 degrees when measured as tangent lines along the cervical curve of the posterior vertebral body margins of C2 and C7.
An analysis of stresses and strains supports this claim, as do studies from the scientific literature that attempt to measure and classify average cervical configuration from large population bases.
The use of normative data as a gauge against which to measure patients’ structural health and as an outcome of the degree of success or failure of chiropractic interventions seem to be logical consequences of these findings.
Cervical Spine Sagittal Alignment and clinical outcome after Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
PUBLISHED: Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ). 2012 Jun;41(6):E81-4. Referenced Pub Med: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22837996
AUTHORS: Gum JL1, Glassman SD, Douglas LR, Carreon LY.
RESULTS: Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that a postoperative cervical lordosis of at least 6° predicted achievement of MCID for NDI (8 point change in NDI).
This suggests that maintenance or restoration of overall cervical lordosis is important in achieving a successful result after Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF).
Chiropractic Biophysics Lateral Cervical Film Analysis Reliability
PUBLISHED: J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1993 Jul-Aug;16(6):384-91.
AUTHORS: Jackson BL, Harrison DD, Robertson GA, Barker WF.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the degree to which the geometric line drawings used in Chiropractic Biophysics Technique (CBP) on lateral cervical radiographs are reliable.
CONCLUSIONS: The reliabilities for intra- and interexaminer were all greater than .70, indicating that these measurements in CBP technique would be considered accurate enough to provide measurements for future clinical studies. The data indicated that the C6-C7 relative rotation angle was the least reliable measurement.
