Pain Neuroscience Education and Exercise
- Conditions
- Neck Pain
- Interventions
- Other: ExerciseOther: Pain neuroscience education
- 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.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 52
- 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.
- 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
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Exercise Exercise This group received exercise directed at the neck and shoulder regions once a week over 4 weeks pain neuroscience education and exercise Exercise This group received pain neuroscience education and exercise once a week over 4 weeks pain neuroscience education and exercise Pain neuroscience education This group received pain neuroscience education and exercise once a week over 4 weeks
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Pain intensity At 3 months Measured using the visual analogue scale
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method 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.
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.
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