The Effects of Neuroscience-Based Exercise Approaches on Pain, Disability and Gait Parameters in Individuals With Chronic Non-Specific Neck Pain

Neuroscience-based exercise approaches are a promising method that has been introduced in recent years in the treatment of non-specific musculoskeletal pain and related dysfunctions. The basis of this method is the exercises and trainings created by considering the neurobiological (changes in tissues) and neurophysiological basis (brain fog, somatosensory sensitization) of nociplastic pain in the musculoskeletal system. In the neuroscience-based exercise approach, it is aimed to reduce the increase in sensitivity in brain fog and somatosensory pathways. The main purpose is to teach the cortex that movement can be done painlessly and accurately and to alleviate the symptoms in the related tissues. It is aimed to perform the exercise painlessly and accurately by adding cognitive goals and changing the focus (14). In the literature, although there are very few studies showing that neuroscience education and therapeutic exercise combinations are effective on chronic nociplastic pain in patients with non-specific chronic neck pain, no studies examining the effects of neuroscience-based exercise approaches on gait parameters in individuals with non-specific chronic neck pain were found (15). ,16). Our study will contribute to the literature in this field and will reveal the effects of neuroscience-based exercise approaches more clearly. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of neuroscience-based exercise approaches on pain, disability and gait parameters in individuals with non-specific chronic neck pain.

Material- Methods Demographic data, gait parameters, Dizabilty level and craniovertebral angle values of individuals were evaluated with clinical data evaluation form, Spatio-Temporal Gait Analysis (LEGSystm), Neck Disability Index and photometer, respectively. The evaluations were performed 2 times before and after the treatment.