Neck Muscle Stiffness Measured by Shear Wave Elastography in Patients With Cervicogenic Dizziness: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the neck muscle stiffness in patients with cervicogenic dizziness (CGD) using shear wave elastography (SWE). Study Design: A case-control study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkiye, from 2023 to 2025. Methodology: The study included 33 patients with CGD and 33 matched healthy controls. Cervical muscle stiffness was measured by SWE in the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), trapezius (TRAP), splenius capitis (SPLC), and semispinalis capitis/cervicis (SCC) muscles. Neck pain, dizziness, neck disability, and dizziness handicap levels were also determined. Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare muscle stiffness between the groups. Results: CGD patients and the Control group were similar in terms of age, gender, and body mass index (BMI [kg/m(2)]; p >0.05). CGD patients had significantly higher stiffness values in SCM (p = 0.029) and TRAP (p = 0.025) muscles compared to the Control group. However, there was no significant difference in the stiffness scores of SPLC (p = 0.199) and SCC (p = 0.681) muscles between the groups. In CGD patients, a significant positive correlation between SPLC muscle stiffness and neck disability was observed. However, there was no significant correlation between cervical muscle stiffness and neck pain, dizziness, neck disability, or dizziness handicap. Conclusion: SWE findings showed that CGD patients had higher SCM and TRAP stiffness than healthy controls. These findings may be useful for understanding CGD and for improving diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment. However, this is a preliminary study on the subject, and further studies are warranted.