Effect of Functional Training and Isometric Exercises on Pain, ROM, and Functional Status in Patients With Neck Pain

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Chronic Pain
• Interventions: Other: Scapular functional training; Other: Cervical isometric exercises; Other: Moist heating

• Registration Number: NCT05624021
• Lead Sponsor: King Saud University

Brief Summary

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders have been rising fast around the globe leading to neck pain and scapular muscle dysfunction, contributing to a decrease in neck movements and functional limitations. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of scapular functional exercise (SFE) in combination with cervical isometric exercises (CIE) on neck pain, cervical range of motion, and functional limitations among participants with chronic mechanical neck pain.The study was based on a two-arm parallel group pretest-posttest randomized control trial design. Thirty participants (females 21 and males 9; average age 28.94±3.77 years) were randomly allocated to groups A and B (n=15/group). The group's A and B participants received a common intervention, such as CIE and hot packs. However, group A received the SFE in addition to common interventions. The outcomes, such as neck pain, cervical ROM, and functional limitations, were evaluated using a numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), standard universal goniometer, and neck disability index questionnaire at baseline and 4-week post-intervention. The paired and unpaired t-test was used to analyze the intervention effects on the outcomes within-group and between-group, keeping the significance level alpha set at p\<0.05.

Detailed Description

The study hypothesised that adding the scapular functional training to the cervical isometric exercises will be equally effective than cervical isometric exercises alone on managing neck pain, cervical ROM, and functional limitations among participants with chronic mechanical neck pain. The present study is helpful for chronic mechanical neck pain patients and physiotherapist to better understand the effect of incorporation of the scapular functional training in the treatment of neck pain. Therefore, this protocol may be used as a treatment in chronic mechanical neck pain because it alleviates pain, neck disability, improving cervical range of motion in chronic mechanical neck pain.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2019-08-23
• Primary Completion: 2019-12-11
• Study Completion: 2020-03-29
• Status Verified: 2022-11
• Study First Submitted: 2022-11-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-11-13
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-11-20
• Study First Posted: 2022-11-21
• Last Update Posted: 2022-11-23

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

• Both male and female with aged range 22-35 years
• Neck pain of more than 3 months in duration
• Having neck pain without symptoms distal to shoulder
• Participant had not received any clinical treatment for their neck pain within 1-months, and
• Willingness to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria

• Having a diagnosis of cervical spinal stenosis
• Patients with serious pathology (e.g., neoplasm, fractures and inflammatory diseases, unilateral and bilateral upper extremity radicular symptoms (cervical radiculopathy)
• Prior surgery of cervical spine
• Evidence of nerve root compression
• Pregnant women, and
• Showed poor cooperation in the study

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
SFT group	Scapular functional training	Received Scapular functional training and cervical isometric exercises
Conventional group	Cervical isometric exercises	Received only isometric cervical exercises and heating
Conventional group	Moist heating	Received only isometric cervical exercises and heating
SFT group	Cervical isometric exercises	Received Scapular functional training and cervical isometric exercises
SFT group	Moist heating	Received Scapular functional training and cervical isometric exercises

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Range of Motion (ROM)	4 weeks	Cervical range of motion was measured by a standard universal goniometer.
Neumeric pain rating scale (NPRS)	4 weeks	Neck pain was assessed by a nuemeric pain rating scale. It is an 11-points numeric scale marked with 0 to 10 between either end. Zero at one end and ten at the opposite end indicate no pain and unbearable/worst imaginable pain, respectively. The participants were asked to rate their current level of pain, as well as their worst and least amounts of pain in the past 24 hours.
Functional limitations	4 weeks	The functional limitation due to mechanical neck pain was evaluated by a neck disability index questionnaire (NDI).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Rehabilitation Research Chair; 🇸🇦 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia