Pain Neuroscience Education and Exercise

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Neck Pain

• Registration Number: NCT03362333
• Lead Sponsor: Aveiro University

Brief Summary

This study examined the effects of pain neuroscience education plus exercise when compared with exercise only in university students with chronic idiopathic neck pain.

Detailed Description

This study examined the effects of pain neuroscience education plus exercise when compared with exercise only in university students with chronic idiopathic neck pain.

University students with chronic neck pain were randomly allocated to receive pain neuroscience education and exercise or exercise only and assessed at baseline, after the intervention and at 3 months follow up. Outcome variables were pain intensity (primary outcome), disability, fear of movement, catastrophizing, knowledge of pain neurophysiology, pressure pain thresholds and neck and scapular muscle endurance.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2015-10-01
• Primary Completion: 2016-02-28
• Study Completion: 2016-10-30
• Study First Submitted: 2017-11-28
• Status Verified: 2017-12
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-12-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-12-04
• Study First Posted: 2017-12-05
• Last Update Posted: 2017-12-05

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 52

Inclusion Criteria

• Participants could enter the study if they had chronic idiopathic neck pain, defined as pain felt in the neck at least once a week in the previous 3 months and for which no cause had been established. Furthermore, they were required to have a minimum pain intensity in the previous week of 2 in the visual analogue scale.

Exclusion Criteria

• Participants were excluded if they had had physiotherapy for their neck pain in the 6 months previous to the study, if they had rheumatic, nervous, cardiac and/or respiratory pathology that could prevent or make it difficult to do the exercises. Exclusion criteria were ascertained by self-report.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pain intensity	At 3 months	Measured using the visual analogue scale

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Neck extensors endurance	5 weeks	Method of assessment - physical test; the participant is in prone and position, head neutral, and supporting 2 Kg weight hanging from it. Participants were asked to support this weight for as long as possible while maintaining the neutral head positioning. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participant holds the position.
Scapular stabilizers endurance	5 weeks	Method of assessment - physical test; Method of assessment - physical test; Participants were standing with the shoulders and elbows flexed at 90º, while pulling both extremities of a dynamometer to reach 1 Kg of force. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participants was able to hold this position.
catastrophizing	3 months	Method of assessment - Pain catastrophising scale
Knowledge of pain neurophysiology	3 months	method of assessment - scale; the neurophysiology of pain questionnaire
Pressure pain thresholds	5 weeks	Method of assessment - psychophysical test; Pressure was applied over the trapezius and at C5-C6 with a algometer until the participant first felt pain. The results was the quantity of force (in Kgf) supported by participants.
Disability	3 months	Method of assessment - the neck pain disability index
Deep neck flexor endurance	5 weeks	Method of assessment - physical test; the participant is in supine and he/she is asked to flex the upper cervical spine, move their head away from the couch approximately 2.5 cm and then maintain this position for as long as possible. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participant holds the position.
fear of movement	3 months	method of assessment - the Tampa Scale