Comparative Effects of Cervical Extension Traction Exercises With and Without Modified Cervical and Shoulder Retraction Exercises on Pain, Disability and Cobb's Angle in Patients With Non-specific Neck Pain

Neck pain is a musculoskeletal system disorder that causes social and economic loss by reducing the quality of life (QOL) of the individual, and its prevalence varies from 16.7 to 75.1% in the adult population. Non-specific neck pain (NNP) is a symptom related to a postural or mechanical cause. NNP is also associated with loss of cervical curvature. In healthy spines, the axial load along the cervical spine is supported along the ventral column of the spine. However, in spines with the loss of lordosis, the load moves more anteriorly, which causes neck pain. Cervical exercise has been shown to be an effective treatment for neck pain and cervical alignment, but there is still a need for more clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of the exercise approach. It seems reasonable to assume that naturally good neck muscle strength and range of motion are likely to be protective factors against neck pain.

As per previous research, the effects of exercise therapy on non-specific neck pain have been examined but there is limited literature available for use of cervical and shoulder retraction exercises in patients with nonspecific neck pain. Most of the studies have been done with neck isometrics, manual mobilization, and deep cervical flexors training and there is less scope of practicing cervical extension traction in contrast with modified cervical and shoulder retraction exercises. Previous research is limited by no use of a control group in a modified retraction exercise regime. To fill this literature gap this study is proposed which will focus on the clinical significance of modified cervical and shoulder retraction exercises on pain, disability, and Cobb's angle in the management of non-specific neck pain.