Comparison of Somatosensory Versus Endurance-strength Exercise in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain

Alexander Achalandabaso

Status: Completed

Conditions: Neck Pain

Treatments: Other: Therapeutic exercises

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05321537

CEIM/2022/1/001

Details and patient eligibility

About

Aim: To compare the effects of somatosensory exercise vs endurance-strength exercise on the deep cervical flexor muscles on pain and perceived disability in patients with chronic neck pain.

Study design: Protocol of a clinical trial, controlled, parallel and a blinded assessor.

Population: Subjects aged 18 to 65 years with neck pain of 3 or more months of evolution.

Full description

The study will be carried out at the Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy of the University of Alcalá. A total of 60 subjects with nonspecific chronic neck pain will be selected and randomly assigned into two intervention groups. The first group will perform a somatosensory exercise program and a second group will perform activation and endurance-strength exercises of the deep cervical flexors. The duration of the intervention will be 8 weeks, with 6 sessions of physical therapy and daily home exercise. The variables pain, pressure pain threshold, disability, endurance-strength, proprioception, quality of life, kinesiophobia, quality of sleep and depression will be analyzed. Measurements will be taken pre-treatment, post-treatment and a follow-up at 3 months.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Subjects of age between 18 and 65 years
• Neck pain of 3 or more months of evolution

Exclusion criteria

• Cervical Disability Index less than 15/50
• Infection
• Oncological processes
• Neck or arm surgery
• Neck or arm trauma
• Positive neurological signs
• Rheumatic diseases

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

Somatosensory training

Experimental group

Description:

It consists of head relocation exercises, eye tracking, gaze stability and eye-head coordination. It requires the use of special material, the pupillary glasses allow the gaze to be fixed by restricting peripheral vision and the laser pointer provides visual feedback on the positioning of the head.

Treatment:

Other: Therapeutic exercises

Endurance-strength training

Experimental group

Description:

It consists of low-load training of the craniocervical flexor muscles. This exercise is specific for the deep cervical flexor muscles, while seeking minimal activation of the superficial flexor muscles. This training consists of 5 phases, starting with a pressure of 20 mmHg, progressively increasing 2 mmHg in each phase.

Treatment:

Other: Therapeutic exercises