Effects of a Virtual Reality-Based Rehabilitation Program on Pain and Function in Individuals With Chronic Neck Pain
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Not yet recruiting
- Sponsor
- Hacettepe University
- Enrollment
- 32
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Pain Intensity
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to find out if a virtual reality-based rehabilitation program developed by our team can help people with chronic neck pain.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does the VR program reduce neck pain?
- Does it improve daily function and quality of life?
Participants will:
- Take part in a supervised virtual reality exercise program for 8 weeks, attending 3 sessions per week (24 sessions in total).
- Each session will last about 45 minutes.
- Complete tests and questionnaires about their pain, disability, and overall well-being before and after the program.
Detailed Description
This trial evaluates a virtual reality (VR)-based rehabilitation program developed by our team for people with chronic neck pain, compared against conventional therapy (CT) delivered as standard physiotherapy. Both programs share the same exercise components (breathing, stretching, range-of-motion, and posture-strengthening); the VR arm provides a game-adapted version in an immersive "beach and ocean" setting via a head-mounted display. Participants in both arms attend 20-minute sessions, twice per week over the intervention period.  
VR-Based Rehabilitation (Intervention)
The VR treatment module is structured into four components that run continuously within a beach-themed scenario:
- Breathing component: Before gameplay, participants are taught diaphragmatic breathing. In VR, the avatar starts on a deck chair by the sea; on-screen prompts guide the participant to inhale while lifting the head toward the sky and exhale while lowering toward the sand (approx. 5 minutes). 
- Stretching component: The avatar rides a jet-ski along the shoreline and the participant collects coins arranged bilaterally, promoting controlled neck movements within the stretching block. 
- Range-of-motion component: Therapeutic tasks cue cervical flexion, extension, lateral flexion (right/left), and rotation (right/left) as part of the game flow, mirroring the clinical ROM targets. 
- Posture-strengthening component: Gamified tasks reinforce postural and scapular control consistent with the conventional program's strengthening principles. 
Overall, the VR arm delivers the same exercise content as CT, but as a game-adapted version in an immersive beach setting via VR glasses. 
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 65 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •Age 18-65 years
- •Diagnosis of chronic neck pain (≥ 6 months duration)
- •Ability to participate in rehabilitation sessions
- •Willingness to provide written informed consent
Exclusion Criteria
- •Previous adverse experience with virtual reality
- •Photophobia (UPSIS-12 score > 12)
- •Migraine (≥ 2 positive responses on ID-Migraine questionnaire)
- •Presence of any neurological deficit
- •History of spinal surgery
- •Medical conditions interfering with participation, including orthopedic, inflammatory, cardiovascular, rheumatologic, or vestibular disorders
- •Pregnancy
- •Epilepsy or other neurological conditions causing photosensitivity
- •Congenital spinal cord malformations
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Pain Intensity
Time Frame: Baseline and at the end of the study.
Pain severity will be measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), a 10-cm line ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain), where participants indicate their average neck pain intensity over the past week. Higher scores represent greater pain (worse outcome).
Neck Disability
Time Frame: Baseline and at the end of the study.
Functional disability will be evaluated using the Neck Disability Index (NDI), a 10-item self-report questionnaire assessing daily activities affected by neck pain. Each item is scored from 0 to 5, yielding a total score range of 0 (no disability) to 50 (maximum disability). Higher scores indicate greater disability (worse outcome).
Cervical Range of Motion
Time Frame: Baseline and at the end of the study.
Cervical range of motion (flexion, extension, right/left lateral flexion, and right/left rotation) will be measured using the CROM device. Higher values indicate greater mobility.
Proprioception
Time Frame: Baseline and at the end of the study.
Proprioceptive accuracy will be assessed by measuring joint position sense error in degrees using the CROM device. Higher error values indicate poorer position sense.
Secondary Outcomes
- Participant Satisfication(At the end of the study.)
- Life Quality(Baseline and at the end of the study.)
- Kinesiophobia(Baseline and at the end of the study.)
- Treatment Adherence(At the end of the study.)
Investigators
HATİCE ÇETİN
Hatice Çeitn, Asst.Prof.
Hacettepe University