Effects of Hatha Yoga on Chronic Neck Pain

Universität Duisburg-Essen

Status: Completed

Conditions: Neck Pain

Treatments: Behavioral: Hatha Yoga; Behavioral: Information regarding exercises and behaviour

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01171274

10-4358

Details and patient eligibility

About

Hatha Yoga is a traditional system of exercises, used in India for the relief of painful condition since centuries and gaining more and more interest in Europe and the US. While studies have demonstrated benefits of Hatha Yoga for patients with chronic low back pain, no studies regarding chronic neck pain are available until now. The purpose of this study is to determine if Hatha Yoga can ameliorate chronic neck pain and related restrictions.

Full description

Hatha Yoga is a traditional system of exercises, used in India for the relief of painful condition since centuries and gaining more and more interest in Europe and the US. The efficacy of Hatha Yoga for relieving chronic low back pain has been repeatedly demonstrated in clinical trials, while there are no studies in the literature regarding chronic neck pain. The aim of this study is to investigate, whether a 9 weeks-course of Hatha Yoga reduces subjective pain ratings and disability in patients suffering from chronic neck pain. Furthermore, as neck pain patients have been shown to suffer from impaired sensory processing and proprioception, along with restricted range of motion, the study aims to test if Hatha Yoga can improve these variables. Therefore, tests regarding cervicocephalic proprioception, active range of motion and the processing of mechanical, vibration and pain stimuli will be included.

58 patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain will be randomized to either Hatha Yoga group or control group, receiving information regarding exercises for chronic neck pain. The control group will be offered to take part in a Yoga class after the end of the study.

Enrollment: 58 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Chronic mechanical neck pain, at least 40 mm on the 100mm visual analog scale.
• Pain for at least 3 months.

Exclusion criteria

• radicular symptoms
• congenital spine deformity
• pregnancy
• rheumatic diseases
• oncologic diseases
• other severe psychiatric or somatic comorbidity
• recent invasive or surgical treatment of the spine
• regularly yoga practice participation in other studies

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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58 participants in 2 patient groups

Hatha Yoga

Active Comparator group

Description:

* 9 weeks of Hatha Yoga, designed for treating chronic neck pain, as a group intervention. * One class of 90 minutes per week, 10 minutes training at home each day.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Hatha Yoga

Exercise information

Active Comparator group

Description:

* 9 weeks of exercises practiced at home. * Patients receive detailed information regarding appropriate exercises and behaviour for chronic neck pain patients.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Information regarding exercises and behaviour