Examination of a Manual Fixing Method in the Measurement of Cervical Flexor and Extensor Muscle Strengths in the Sitting Position Using a Hand-held Dynamometer

Abstract

[Purpose] To investigate the usefulness of measurements of cervical muscle strength in the sitting position made with a hand-held dynamometer (HHD) and manual fixation. [Subjects] The subjects were 20 healthy men and women. [Methods] The strength of subjects’ cervical flexors and extensors were measured with manual and belt fixation while they were seated, as well as in the supine position, using a HHD; muscle activities of the trunk and neck were also measured. The reliability of each measurement method and the differences in muscle strengths between the methods were compared, and correlations among the measurements were investigated. [Results] Intra-rater reliabilities showed good values for all of the measurements. Cervical flexor and extensor strengths measured by manual and belt fixation were higher than MMT measures, and in manual fixation, muscle strength showed significant correlations with those of MMT and belt fixation. In the measurements of muscle activity, the activity of the rectus abdominis in cervical flexion showed a high value in MMT. [Conclusion] The results of the manual fixation method were not affected by trunk muscle activities and it appears to be a simple, convenient and highly reliable measurement method.