Effect of Adding Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise to Conventional Physiotherapy Intervention on Pain and Sleep Quality in Individuals With Non-specific Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Control Trial

Non-specific chronic neck pain (NSCNP) is discomfort originating in the area between the superior nuchal line and the spinous process of the initial thoracic vertebra, extending to the scapula region, anterior chest wall, head, or upper limb . NSCNP is defined as neck discomfort persisting for over 12 weeks and is categorized as mechanical neck pain . demonstrated that NSCNP is associated with factors like forward head posture and rounded shoulders. Prolonged smartphone use, exceeding 10 hours per week, is linked to neck pain development . Additionally, found a positive correlation between mobile phone use duration and neck pain intensity, suggesting that individuals with poor posture, spending more than 10 hours daily on their phones, increase activation of neck muscles, including superficial muscles like sternocleidomastoid, anterior scalene, and trapezius. Recent findings reported that 54% of participants used their phones for more than 4 hours daily, increasing the occurrence of NSCNP .

Several negative factors affect individuals with non-specific chronic neck pain, such as poor posture, prolonged use of mobile phones throughout the day, and unhealthy sleep habits, contributing to increased neck pain and disrupting normal breathing patterns. Therefore, incorporating simple breathing re-education exercises, such as diaphragmatic breathing, into conventional physiotherapy interventions is considered effective and beneficial. It is also time-efficient and cost-effective. Moreover, this exercise is easily performed in various situations.

The aim of this study

Primary aim:

To assess the effectiveness of adding diaphragmatic breathing exercise to conservative physiotherapy interventions on pain and sleep quality in individuals with non-specific chronic neck pain.