Does the degree of stenosis affect cervical proprioception in patients with cervical pain?

Background Cervical stenosis is an important problem in patients with cervical pain, which may cause proprioception problems. Objective This study aims to evaluate the effect of the degree of cervical stenosis on cervical proprioception and cervical range of motion (ROM). Method A total of 111 patients presenting with cervical pain and undergoing cervical magnetic resonance imaging were included in the study. The ROM of the patients was measured with the Pa Cervical Range of Motion (CROM) device. Proprioception was evaluated with measurement of joint position error (JPE). JPE was assessed with neutral head position and target head position tests. The severity of stenosis was detected according to the Kang grading system. The Kruskal-Wallis test is used to compare joint position error in patients with different cervical stenosis stages. Results Twenty nine(%26) patients had no stenosis, 31 (28%) had mild stenosis, 31 (28%) had moderate stenosis, and 20 (18%) had severe stenosis. According to the neutral head positioning test, there was a significant difference in right lateral flexion between patients with different degrees of stenosis (grade 0: 1.67[0.67–4.67] vs. grade 2: 4.67[2.3–10.0], p = 0.009) and in flexion (grade 0: 8.0[2.67–10.0] vs. grade 3: 12.66[8.33–17.67], p = 0.011). There was also a significant difference in head-to-target JPEs in all motion planes(p < 0.05). Conclusion Degree of cervical stenosis significantly affects cervical proprioception and cervical ROM. The study's findings may guide clinicians in developing effective rehabilitation programs for proprioception in cervical stenosis and encourage further research on intervention effects at different stages of the disease.