Pain Neuroscience Education and Exercise

Aveiro University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Neck Pain

Treatments: Other: Pain neuroscience education; Other: Exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03362333

PCEDCSS-FMUP 18

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study examined the effects of pain neuroscience education plus exercise when compared with exercise only in university students with chronic idiopathic neck pain.

Full description

This study examined the effects of pain neuroscience education plus exercise when compared with exercise only in university students with chronic idiopathic neck pain.

University students with chronic neck pain were randomly allocated to receive pain neuroscience education and exercise or exercise only and assessed at baseline, after the intervention and at 3 months follow up. Outcome variables were pain intensity (primary outcome), disability, fear of movement, catastrophizing, knowledge of pain neurophysiology, pressure pain thresholds and neck and scapular muscle endurance.

Enrollment: 52 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Participants could enter the study if they had chronic idiopathic neck pain, defined as pain felt in the neck at least once a week in the previous 3 months and for which no cause had been established. Furthermore, they were required to have a minimum pain intensity in the previous week of 2 in the visual analogue scale.

Exclusion criteria

• Participants were excluded if they had had physiotherapy for their neck pain in the 6 months previous to the study, if they had rheumatic, nervous, cardiac and/or respiratory pathology that could prevent or make it difficult to do the exercises. Exclusion criteria were ascertained by self-report.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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52 participants in 2 patient groups

pain neuroscience education and exercise

Experimental group

Description:

This group received pain neuroscience education and exercise once a week over 4 weeks

Treatment:

Other: Exercise

Other: Pain neuroscience education

Exercise

Active Comparator group

Description:

This group received exercise directed at the neck and shoulder regions once a week over 4 weeks

Treatment:

Other: Exercise