Evaluation of cervical spine muscles thickness in patients with cervical vertigo and healthy controls through ultrasonography.
Ronak Zargar Talebi, Asghar Rezasoltani, Minoo Khalkhalizavieh and 2 others
PMID 32753783WHAT IT FOUND
Patients with cervical vertigo had a thicker longus colli muscle than healthy controls, but no difference was found in other deep neck muscles.
This suggests the deep neck flexors may be working harder to stabilize the spine in these patients.
Key findings
01The normalized thickness of the longus colli muscle was significantly greater in patients with cervical vertigo compared to healthy controls.
02There were no significant differences in the thickness of the rectus capitis posterior, oblique capitis superior, sternocleidomastoid, or longus capitis muscles between the two groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (22 per group), which limits the generalizability of the findings. Participants were restricted to ages 18-45, so results may not apply to older adults who are more common in clinical practice. Symptoms were mild-to-moderate; patients with severe vertigo or pain were not included. Muscle thickness was not normalized for gender, which could confound results given differences in muscle mass between men and women.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that ultrasound measurement of muscle thickness is a validated diagnostic tool for cervical vertigo in routine practice. This was a small, exploratory study with a limited age range, and the findings do not prove that treating the longus colli thickness will resolve vertigo symptoms.