• Becker D
• Lerner J
• Ashburn AD
• Fortenberry R
• Attaway S

• Cervical Vertebrae
• Kinesthesis
• Manipulation, Chiropractic
• Open Access Document
• Postural Balance
• Proprioception
• Students, Chiropractic
• Subluxation

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine if performance on a cervical proprioception assessment correlates with measures of static body sway and to evaluate the impact of perceived pain on performance during these assessments. 

Materials and Methods: Fifty-five chiropractic college students reported cervical spine and lumbar spine VAS scores. Participants then underwent static body sway and cervical proprioception assessments in sequence. A two-tailed test was used to evaluate performance differences on the tests in those with and without pain, and a Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the relationship of performance between the two evaluations. 

Results: There were no significant differences in performance on either cervical proprioception or static body sway in those with or without neck and low back pain except for medial to lateral sway being greater in those with neck pain than those without neck pain (p=.04). A moderate negative correlation (r= -.35) was observed between medial to lateral sway and cervical proprioception. A weak positive correlation was noted between cervical proprioception and maximum distance travelled in anterior to posterior body sway (r=.29). Center of path length (r=.03) and ellipse area (r=-.11) yielded little to no correlation to cervical proprioception.

Conclusion: Perceived pain did not impact performance on either cervical proprioception or static body sway assessments indicating its limited influence on sensorimotor control at low levels. There is not a clear correlation between performance during static body sway testing and testing for cervical proprioception indicating that both tests evaluate different aspects of neurofunctional health and should be used independently in a functional testing battery. 

Author keywords: Chiropractic, adjustment, spinal manipulation, vertebral subluxation, Cervicocephalic Kinesthetic Sensibility Test, salutogenesis, sensorimotor control, static body sway, cervical proprioception

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