Grip Strength: Influence of Head-Neck Position in Normal Subjects

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate whether head-neck (H-N) position affects grip strength in healthy young adults and to find out, which H-N position have the greatest influence on grip strength.

Methods: Eighty male and female students volunteered as subjects. The dominant hand was used to apply tension to the lever of a Jamar dynamometer. The data collection procedures followed American Society of Hand Therapists standardized grip-strength testing guidelines, with the except for H-N position. The maximal grip strength was measured at H-N in neutral, rotation to the left and rotation to the right.

Result: The results were analyzed using independent ‘t’ test to compare the height and weight between groups. To compare the maximal grip strength between H-N position one-way analysis of variance and Tukey HSD was used. The result showed that maximal grip strength in the right dominant was significantly highest at H-N rotated to left at P < 0.05.

Conclusion: The highest maximal grip strength obtained at H-N rotated to left, showed that for accurate assessment and rehabilitation, the H-N should be positioned opposite to the tested extremity which could be due to the influence of ATNR.




J Neurol Res. 2012;2(3):93-98
doi: https://doi.org/10.4021/jnr117w