Tongue Pressure in Middle-Aged and Elderly Individuals With Chronic Cervical Pain

Launched by NATIONAL YANG MING CHIAO TUNG UNIVERSITY · Jun 13, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how neck pain affects tongue pressure in middle-aged and elderly individuals. Researchers want to find out if people aged 50 to 65 with chronic neck pain have lower tongue pressure compared to those without neck pain. They are also looking at how different head and neck positions might change tongue pressure performance.

To participate, individuals must be between 50 and 65 years old and have had neck pain for at least three months. Participants should not have taken anti-inflammatory medications or painkillers within 48 hours before the test. The study is currently recruiting participants, and everyone will complete the assessments on the same day. This trial aims to help understand the relationship between chronic neck pain and swallowing difficulties, which can be important for improving quality of life.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• 1. Inclusion Criteria (chronic cervical pain group):
• • 1. Aged between 50-65 year olds
• • 2. Chronic neck pain (caused by specific neck movements or prolonged neck posture)
• • 3. Cervical pain duration: at least 3 months within the past year
• • 4. Cervical pain intensity: during activity or rest, as measured by the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, must have an average score of at least 3 over the past two weeks
• • 5. No anti-inflammatory or painkillers can be used within 48 hours prior to the test
• 2. Inclusion Criteria (healthy group):
• • 1. Matching gender, age, and body mass index with those in the chronic cervical pain group
• • 2. No cervical pain has occurred within the past 6 months
• 3. Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Neurological diseases that may affect tongue pressure readings, such as stroke or Parkinson's disease
• • 2. Head or neck surgery in the past year
• • 3. Severe head or neck injuries (e.g., whiplash from a car accident) in the past year
• • 4. Diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy with symptoms in the form of numbness or tingling, or fail relative clinical tests (spurling's/ cervical distraction/ cervical rotation test/ upper limb tension test-1/ Hoffman sign)
• • 5. History of head or neck deformities or cancer
• • 6. History of head or neck radiation therapy
• • 7. Diagnosed with dysphagia
• • 8. Experience pain or restricted movement in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) during chewing in the last 6 months
• • 9. Require anticonvulsants or antidepressant medications
• • 10. Cognitive impairments preventing understanding of the test order or communication