Acute Effects of Action Observation on Neck Pain

Aveiro University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Neck Pain

Treatments: Other: Placebo; Other: Action-observation therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05078489

21-CED/2020

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to assess the immediate effects of action observation therapy on the cervical muscles' strength, pain intensity, tactile acuity and pain pressure threshold in individuals with chronic nonspecific neck pain.

Full description

This study is a randomized controlled trial with two arms: action observation group vs control group. The action observation group will be asked to watch videos of neck exercises with full attention and concentration and not perform any motion or execute any movement during the observation time. The control group will be asked to watch videos of a landscape.

Participants will be assessed at baseline and at post-intervention for muscle strength, pain intensity, pressure pain threshold and tactile acuity.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 months to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Have nonspecific chronic neck pain, defined as a recurrent or persistent pain that lasts more than 3 months, with no trauma or etiology/diagnosis associated.

Exclusion criteria

• Visual and hearing dysfunction not corrected by eyeglasses/contact lenses or a hearing aid;
• Infectious diseases;
• Cervical myelopathy;
• Cervical surgery;
• Cervical fracture or/and subluxation;
• Vestibular pathology;
• Neurological disorder/deficits;
• Rheumatic autoimmune diseases;
• History of cancer;
• Severe cervical trauma.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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60 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Action-observation arm

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be asked to watch videos of neck exercises without performing any exercise. The intervention will take approximately 15 minutes.

Treatment:

Other: Action-observation therapy

Placebo intervention

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Participants will be asked to watch videos of landscapes. The intervention will take approximately 15 minutes.

Treatment:

Other: Placebo