Effects of Isometric Exercises With and Without Pressure Biofeedback on Cervical Pain and Muscle Strength in Computer Users With Cervical Spine Overload

Neck pain is defined as the pain experienced from the base of the skull or occiput to the upper part of the back and extending laterally to the outer and superior bounds of the shoulder blade. Office work is a kind of job that demands sitting for prolonged time requiring the use of computer. These two factors are mainly responsible for overloading of the spine. Neck pain and computer users are clearly connected due to extended periods of sitting in a certain position with no breaks to stretch the neck muscles. Prolonged computer use with neck bent forward will cause the anterior neck muscles to gradually get shorter and tighter, while the muscles in the back of neck will grow longer and weaker. These changes will lead to development of neck pain. Neck problem also accounts for a large proportion of occupational illness and disability. Neck pain is common among computer workers in our country and contributes importantly to the demand for medical services and the economic burden of absence from work due to sickness.

The main purpose of this randomized clinical trial will be to find out the effects of Isometric exercises with and without Pressure Biofeedback Unit on Cervical pain and Muscle strength in Computer users with cervical spine overload. Patients will be recruited in the study by convenient sampling technique after that will be allocated to groups by simple random assignment with an inclusion criteria having chronic neck pain for more than 3 months, current pain level ranging greater than 3 on NPRS, patient with minimum and moderate disability and male and female computer users with age 25 to 40 years with cervical pain. Patients with history of cervical trauma, postural deformity, spinal cord deformity, current pregnancy and significant neurological deficits were excluded.

Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and Neck Disability Index (NDI) will be used to measure before and after treatment session. Treatment will be given to both groups for 4 weeks and each group will receive 3 sessions per week. After collecting the data it will entered and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Data will be assessed by using parametric/ non parametric test after completion of the study.