Chronic non-specific neck and shoulder pain.
Conditions
Interventions
Intervention 1: Intervention Group 1 (Elastic Band Micro-Exercises):This group performs resistance-based micro-exercises using elastic bands at their workplace for 8 weeks, with 3 sessions per week (a
Sponsors
Shahid Beheshti University
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 45 Years
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Full-time employment (at least 20 working days per month) with an average of 8 hours or more per day involving continuous work with visual display terminals or computers, provided that the individual has been stable in their current or similar job position for the past year; Body mass index (BMI) within the normal range (18–25 kg/m²); Diagnosis of chronic or recurrent neck and shoulder pain with a history of at least the last 3 months and a pain intensity score of at least 3 on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS); Sedentary lifestyle and no history of participating in regular exercise programs during the last 6 months or during the study implementation period; Absence of any structural or postural disorders (such as forward head posture, rounded shoulders, thoracic kyphosis, scoliosis, or any spinal deformity that may influence the pattern of muscle activity); Absence of any history of surgery, trauma, accident, or fracture in the upper limb (including cranial, cervical, shoulder, and spinal regions), and absence of serious musculoskeletal pathologies such as advanced osteoarthritis, cervical disc herniation, or other structural lesions in the neck and shoulder areas; No chronic systemic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, uncontrolled diabetes, rheumatologic disorders, etc.), psychiatric disorders, or any specific medical conditions that may affect data validity or participant safety; No regular use of analgesic drugs (including NSAIDs, acetaminophen, opioids, and muscle relaxants) during the 72 hours prior to pre-test and post-test assessments; also no regular (daily) use of these medications during the 8-week intervention period. Occasional use of acetaminophen (maximum 2 times per week, dose =1000 mg per intake) is permitted only in case of intolerable pain, provided that the time and dose are accurately recorded in the weekly logbook (to eliminate confounding effects); No pregnancy during the intervention period; Completion and signing of the informed consent form for voluntary participation; Adequate physical ability to safely perform the micro-exercises.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: Voluntary withdrawal or unwillingness of the participant to continue cooperation at any stage of the study; Failure to complete the post-test assessments; Any concurrent treatment, physiotherapy, or similar therapeutic activities during the study period; Non-adherence to the protocol and absence of more than 2 consecutive sessions or 3 non-consecutive sessions during the intervention period; Starting regular use of analgesic drugs or a significant change in the pattern of analgesic consumption (exceeding the permissible dose defined in the inclusion criteria) during the study period; Confounding factors such as the occurrence of any accident, illness, or any other factor that prevents the participant from continuing effective cooperation or disrupts the normal course of the study after the pre-test.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Electromyographic Activity of Upper Trapezius and Sternocleidomastoid. Timepoint: Pre-test (Week 0, before the start of the intervention) Post-test (Week 8, after completion of the 8-week intervention). Method of measurement: Surface Electromyography (sEMG) will be conducted using the Cometa MiniX EMG system (Cometa Systems, Italy) with latex-free Ag/AgCl surface electrodes, adhering to the SENIAM protocol. The sampling frequency will be set at 1000 Hz, with a 25–450 Hz band-pass filter. Signal normalization will be performed based on Maximum Voluntary Isometric Contraction (MVIC), and the Root Mean Square (RMS) will be calculated within a 50-ms window, synchronizing with an accelerometer for the precise detection of movement onset and offset. Symmetry will be calculated using the following formula:Symmetry Index = [(Right - Left) / (0.5 × (Right + Left))] × 100%.;Pain intensity in the neck and shoulder regions. Timepoint: Pre-test (Week 0, before the start of the intervention) Post-test (Week 8, after completion of the 8-week intervention). Method of measurement: Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain, ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (the worst imaginable pain). The participant marks a point on a 10-centimeter line. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Work Ability. Timepoint: Pre-test (Week 0, before the start of the intervention) Post-test (Week 8, after completion of the 8-week intervention). Method of measurement: Work Ability Index (WAI).;Quality of Life. Timepoint: Pre-test (Week 0, before the start of the intervention) Post-test (Week 8, after completion of the 8-week intervention). Method of measurement: Short Form Health Survey (SF-12).;Neck Disability. Timepoint: Pre-test (Week 0, before the start of the intervention) Post-test (Week 8, after completion of the 8-week intervention). Method of measurement: Neck Disability Index (NDI).;Shoulder Disability. Timepoint: Pre-test (Week 0, before the start of the intervention) Post-test (Week 8, after completion of the 8-week intervention). Method of measurement: Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI).;Adherence to performing micro-exercises. Timepoint: Pre-test (Week 0, before the start of the intervention) Post-test (Week 8, after completion of the 8-week intervention). Method of measurement: Weekly throughout the 8 weeks to determine the percentage of adherence to the exercise protocol. | — |
Countries
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Contacts
Public ContactZohreh Yaghoubi Tajani
Shahid Beheshti University
Outcome results
None listed