Abstract
The autonomic concomitants of cervical pathomechanics (the posterior cervical sympathetic syndrome) have been widely reported. The literature documenting the autonomic manifestations of thoracic and lumbar articular dysfunctions has not been as extensive. The present study attempts to determine the incidence and nosography of vertebrogenic autonomic dysfunction (V.A.D.) in a sample of 250 consecutive back pain subjects. Thirty-nine per cent of all back pain subjects exhibited probable evidence of V.A.D. The incidence of V.A.D. was distributed as follows: cervicogenic cephalalgia — 60% (i.e., disturbed vision, dysequilibrium, gastrointestinal upset); thoracalgia — 54% (i.e., nausea, flatus); and lumbalgia — 31% (i.e., constipation, urinary frequency, menstrual disturbances).