Effectiveness of a general neck exercise program, of acupuncture or of repetitive low-energy shockwave therapy for chronic neck disorders
- Conditions
- Dorsalgiaeck disordersMusculoskeletal Diseases
- Registration Number
- ISRCTN99496264
- Lead Sponsor
- German and International Society for Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (DIGEST) (Germany)
- Brief Summary
Not available
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- Completed
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 350
1. Aged 18 years and older, either sex
2. Neck pain symptoms for longer than 3 months
3. Referred to therapy with a new episode of neck pain by their general practitioner (GP). Non-specific neck pain is defined as pain and/or stiffness in the cervical spine, with or without unilateral arm pain, after the exclusion of red flags.
1. Weight loss
2. Fever
3. Progressive neurological signs including bilateral arm pain
4. Evidence of muscle weakness or disturbance in normal sensation
5. History of malignancy, inflammatory arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, osteoporosis, or gross structural or neurologic abnormality affecting the neck
6. Contraindications to the study treatments (e.g., patients taking anticoagulants)
7. Any injury awaiting a compensation claim (e.g., deceleration or industrial injury)
8. Pregnancy
Study & Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method 1. Neck pain on a 100 mm visual analogue scale<br>2. Disability assessed with the 100 point neck disability index<br><br>Measured at 2 months, 4 months and 15 months from baseline.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Treatment satisfaction, assessed on a five point scale: 1 = very satisfied, 2 = satisfied, 3 = equivocal, 4 = unsatisfied, and 5 = very unsatisfied; Scores of 1 and 2 are classified as satisfied and scores of 4 and 5 as unsatisfied.<br><br>Measured at 2 months, 4 months and 15 months from baseline.