Mindfulness Plus Supervised Rehabilitation vs Supervised Rehabilitation Alone for Chronic Neck Pain in Office Workers

University of Monastir

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Chronic Neck Pain

Treatments: Other: supervised exercise; Behavioral: Mindfulness

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07576556

MINDEX-NECK-RCT-2026

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if adding mindfulness to supervised rehabilitation exercises improves outcomes in office workers with chronic neck pain. It will also evaluate the impact of this combined approach on psychosocial factors and quality of life. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does mindfulness combined with supervised exercises reduce neck pain intensity more than supervised exercises alone? Does the combined intervention improve neck-related disability, psychosocial outcomes, and quality of life?

Researchers will compare a mindfulness-based intervention plus supervised rehabilitation exercises to supervised rehabilitation exercises alone to determine whether the combined approach provides additional benefit.

Participants will:

Be randomly assigned to receive either mindfulness plus supervised exercises or supervised exercises alone for 8 weeks Attend weekly 60-minute mindfulness sessions (experimental group only) and twice-weekly supervised exercise sessions Undergo assessments at the beginning and at the end of the intervention period

Enrollment: 48 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Office workers aged 18 years or older
• diagnosed with chronic neck pain for more the three months

Exclusion criteria

• history of neck surgery
• history of cervical trauma
• history of neurological disorders affecting the neck or upper extremities
• currently receiving other treatments for neck pain, such as injections or surgical interventions
• Participants with significant psychiatric disorders that could interfere with study participation or adherence to the intervention

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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48 participants in 2 patient groups

Mindfulness arm

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in the intervention group will follow an 8-week supervised program combining mindfulness training and therapeutic exercise. The intervention includes one weekly 60-minute mindfulness session and two supervised exercise sessions (each lasting 30 minutes), delivered by a trained professional according to a standardized protocol. Mindfulness sessions will be conducted in small groups and incorporate structured practices including mindful breathing, body scanning, guided imagery, and relaxation techniques. Mindful breathing focuses on sustained, non-judgmental attention to the breath to enhance present-moment awareness and modulate pain perception. Body scanning involves systematic attention to body regions to increase awareness of sensations and tension. Guided imagery and relaxation techniques (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation, meditation) aim to promote relaxation and reduce pain-related distress

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness

Other: supervised exercise

Control arm

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in the control group will follow an 8-week supervised conventional exercise program consisting of two sessions per week, each lasting 30 minutes, delivered according to a standardized protocol. The program includes stretching, strengthening, and postural exercises commonly used in musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Stretching targets the cervical region (flexion, extension, lateral flexion), with each stretch held for 30 seconds and repeated three times. Strengthening focuses on cervical muscle activation and endurance through neck retraction and isometric exercises against manual resistance in multiple directions. Postural exercises emphasize cervical and scapular alignment, including chin tucks and scapular retraction performed with controlled holds. All sessions are supervised, and participants continue their usual occupational activities.

Treatment:

Other: supervised exercise