Reliability of the Cervical Range of Motion Device in Measuring Upper Cervical Motion

Abstract

Limitations in upper cervical range of motion (occiput, Cl and C2) correlate highly with many pathological dysfunctions, including acute and chronic neck pain, headache, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain. Although methods have been developed which provide valid and reliable measures of the middle and lower cervical spine, a quantitative method to evaluate upper cervical range of motion has not been documented in the literature thus far. The purpose of this study was to investigate the intra-tester and inter-tester reliability of the Cervical Range of Motion device (CROM) in measuring upper cervical flexion and extension. Thirty healthy volunteers, ages 23 to 37, were measured three times by three testers. Moderate to high reliability was observed for upper cervical measurements with ICC’s of .65 to .81 among testers and .89 to .97 between testers. Therefore, this method of evaluation can be used to obtain consistent quantitative measures in documenting changes in upper cervical range of motion.