Neck Pain
Conditions
Brief summary
This study compared the effectiveness of pain neurophysiology education and neck/shoulder exercises with no intervention in adolescents with chronic idiopathic neck pain (CINP).
Detailed description
Forty three adolescents with chronic idiopathic neck pain were randomly allocated to receive pain neurophysiology education and shoulder/neck exercises (n=21) or no intervention (n=22). Data on pain intensity (Visual Analogue Scale), pain disability, neck flexor and extensor muscles endurance, scapulae stabilizers endurance, pain catastrophizing (Pain catastrophizing Scale), trait and state anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and knowledge of pain neurophysiology (Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire) were collected. Measurements were taken before and after the intervention. Statistical analysis were performed using a mixed-methods ANOVA.
Interventions
OTHERneurophysiology of pain education and exercises
Pain neurophysiology education covered the neurophysiology of pain, transition from acute to chronic pain and the nervous system ability to modulate the pain experience. It was delivered in small groups (4 to 7 participants). A total of 4 sessions were delivered over 4 weeks (1 session per week). Each session took between 45 minutes and 1 hour. Exercises were aimed at increasing the endurance and strength of the deep neck flexor and extensor muscles and of the scapular muscles delivered over 3 sessions (the first session covered pain neurophysiology education only). Each exercise was performed in 3 series of 10 repetitions. The number of exercises targeting the same group of muscles increased from one in the 2nd session to 2/3 in the 4th session.
Sponsors
Aveiro University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
16 Years to 20 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* To be invited to enter the study participants had to have chronic idiopathic neck/shoulder pain, defined as pain felt in the neck/shoulder regions at least once a week in the previous 3 months.
Exclusion criteria
* No
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pain intensity | At the beginning | Method of assessment - Visual analogue scale |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Neck pain duration | At the beginning | Method of assessment - a question on neck pain duration (how long have you have neck pain?) |
| Neck pain associated disability | At the beginning | Method of assessment - a disability index with 5 questions on neck pain associated disability |
| Neck flexor muscles endurance test | At the beginning | Method of assessment - physical test; the participant is in supine and he/she is asked to flex the upper cervical spine, move their head away from the couch approximately 2.5 cm and then maintain this position for as long as possible. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participant holds the position. |
| Neck extensor muscles endurance test | At the beginning | Method of assessment - physical test; the participant is in prone and position, head neutral, and supporting 2 Kg weight hanging from it. Participants were asked to support this weight for as long as possible while maintaining the neutral head positioning. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participant holds the position. |
| Neck pain frequency | At the beginning | Method of assessment - a question on neck pain frequency in the previous week (never, seldom, occasionally, often, always) |
| State-trait anxiety inventory | At the beginning | Method of assessment - scale |
| Pain Catastrophizing Scale | At the beginning | Method of assessment - scale |
| Neurophysiology of pain questionnaire | At the beginning | Method of assessment - questionnaire |
| Patients' Global Impression of Change | 5 weeks | Method of assessment - scale |
| Scapular stabilizers' endurance test | At the beginning | Method of assessment - physical test; Method of assessment - physical test; Participants were standing with the shoulders and elbows flexed at 90º, while pulling both extremities of a dynamometer to reach 1 Kg of force. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participants was able to hold this position. |
Outcome results
None listed