The effect of non-pathological neck pain on hand grip strength in healthcare practitioners across three different head positions: a cross-sectional study design

Abstract

[Purpose] To determine how different head-neck positions (HNPs) influence the hand grip strength (HGS) of medical personnel with non-pathological neck pain (NPNP). [Participants and Methods] A cross-sectional study recruited 46 healthcare professionals: 21 (45.7%) with NPNP and 25 (54.3%) without. A dynamometer, cervi-cal range of motion, and visual analogue scale measured HGS, HNPs, and NPNPs. Participants were instructed to squeeze the handgrip dynamometer handle in 90-degree elbow flexion as much as possible from a seated position to measure HGS from the neutral head position (NHP), 40° head neck flexion (HFP40°), and 30° head neck extension (HEP30°). [Results] The mean HGS