Hypocapnia in patients with chronic neck pain: Association with pain, muscle function, and psychologic states

Zacharias Dimitriadis, Eleni Kapreli, Nikolaos Strimpakos, Jacqueline Oldham

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether patients with chronic neck pain have changes in their transcutaneous partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide (PtcCO2) and whether other physical and psychologic parameters are associated. DESIGN: In this cross-sectional study, 45 patients with chronic idiopathic neck pain and 45 healthy sex-, age-, height-, and weight-matched controls were voluntarily recruited. The participants' neck muscle strength, endurance of the deep neck flexors, neck range of movement, forward head posture, psychologic states (anxiety, depression, kinesiophobia, and catastrophizing), disability, and pain were assessed. PtcCO2 was assessed using transcutaneous blood gas monitoring. RESULTS: The patients with chronic neck pain presented significantly reduced PtcCO2 (P <0.01). In the patients, PtcCO2 was significantly correlated with strength of the neck muscles, endurance of the deep neck flexors, kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, and pain intensity (P <0.05). Pain intensity, endurance of the deep neck flexors, and kinesiophobia remained as significant predictors into the regression model of PtcCO2. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with chronic neck pain present with reduced PtcCO2, which can reach the limits of hypocapnia. This disturbance seems to be associated with physical and psychologic manifestations of neck pain. These findings can have a great impact on various clinical aspects, notably, patient assessment, rehabilitation, and drug prescription. Copyright © 2012 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)746-754
    Number of pages8
    JournalAmerican Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
    Volume92
    Issue number9
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Sep 2013

    Keywords

    • Blood Gases
    • Carbon Dioxide
    • Hypocapnia
    • Neck Pain

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