The Effect of Stabilization Exercises on Pain, Posture, and Sleep in Office Workers With Neck Pain

Lokman Hekim University

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Neck Pain; Neck Pain Treatment

Treatments: Other: Neck exercise group; Other: Neck and stabilization exercise group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06731816

LHU-FTR-ZSBD-02

Details and patient eligibility

About

With this study that will be examined the effects of stabilization exercises applied in addition to neck exercises on neck pain, posture and sleep quality in office workers with neck pain.

Full description

Today, technological devices play a significant role in both professional and personal aspects of our lives. While computer use in office workers increases work productivity, it also brings about certain health risks by affecting posture and the musculoskeletal system. During screen use, the repetitive and prolonged forward movement of the head and arms results in a kyphotic posture and an increased neck flexion angle, which causes pain in the cervical region. When the head is in a neutral position, the amount of load carried by the cervical region is estimated to be around 4.5-5.5 kg, whereas with a 15° neck flexion, this load increases to 12.25 kg, and with a 30° flexion angle, it reaches approximately 13.61 kg. Increased flexion angles in the cervical region lead to an increase in mechanical stress on ligaments, tendons, muscles, and bones, and this stress poses a potential risk for the development of arthritis, disc degeneration, and headaches.

Musculoskeletal disorders caused by these symptoms are believed to reduce work productivity and lead to employees taking breaks from their tasks. Prolonged use of smartphones or computers is associated with increased anxiety and stress levels, as well as sleep problems. Pilates has become an increasingly popular form of exercise in the rehabilitation field in recent years. Joseph Pilates referred to the core region as the "powerhouse" and considered core control to be a fundamental component of body movement. According to Pilates, learning to properly engage the core muscles improves movement quality, enhances posture, and provides better stabilization. Exercises targeting the deep stabilizing muscles strengthen the torso, correct posture, and improve balance.

Pilates training plays a role in increasing strength and endurance, restoring normal proprioceptive mechanisms, and maintaining flexibility. For this reason, it is recommended in both preventive and therapeutic exercise programs. The aim of this study is to create two different exercise programs for office workers with neck pain and to investigate the effects of stabilization exercises, applied in addition to neck exercises, on neck pain, posture, and sleep quality.

Enrollment: 30 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 45 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:Inclusion Criteria for the Study:

• Volunteering to participate in the study and approving the informed consent form,
• Using a computer, tablet and/or phone for more than 3 hours per day for the last 6 months,
• Having recurrent or persistent pain in the neck region for at least 3 months,
• Having a Neck Disability Scale score of 15 points or higher,
• Having a VAS Pain score of 5 or higher.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Having a neurological diagnosis,
• Having a radiologically confirmed orthopedic diagnosis from the neck region (neck hernia, fracture, dislocation, spondylolisthesis),
• Having a systemic and chronic disease diagnosis that can affect the neck region and joints,
• Having a history of surgical intervention or trauma from the neck region,
• Having cognitive impairment that makes communication and evaluation difficult.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

Neck and stabilization exercise group

Active Comparator group

Description:

In addition to neck stretching, range of motion, and isometric exercises, spinal stabilization exercises will be applied.

Treatment:

Other: Neck and stabilization exercise group

Neck exercise group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Neck stretching, range of motion, and isometric exercises will be applied.

Treatment:

Other: Neck exercise group