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

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