Neck Pain
Conditions
Brief summary
This study aims to assess the immediate effects of action observation therapy on the cervical muscles' strength, pain intensity, tactile acuity and pain pressure threshold in individuals with chronic nonspecific neck pain.
Detailed description
This study is a randomized controlled trial with two arms: action observation group vs control group. The action observation group will be asked to watch videos of neck exercises with full attention and concentration and not perform any motion or execute any movement during the observation time. The control group will be asked to watch videos of a landscape. Participants will be assessed at baseline and at post-intervention for muscle strength, pain intensity, pressure pain threshold and tactile acuity.
Interventions
OTHERAction-observation therapy
Action observation therapy involves the observation and perception of human movement performed by others. The observation of actions performed by others activates in the perceiver the same neural structures responsible for the actual execution of those same actions.
OTHERPlacebo
Participants will watch a natural landscape without any human.
Sponsors
Aveiro University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Months to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Have nonspecific chronic neck pain, defined as a recurrent or persistent pain that lasts more than 3 months, with no trauma or etiology/diagnosis associated.
Exclusion criteria
* Visual and hearing dysfunction not corrected by eyeglasses/contact lenses or a hearing aid; * Infectious diseases; * Cervical myelopathy; * Cervical surgery; * Cervical fracture or/and subluxation; * Vestibular pathology; * Neurological disorder/deficits; * Rheumatic autoimmune diseases; * History of cancer; * Severe cervical trauma.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure pain thresholds | Baseline | Pressure pain thresholds are the minimum amount of pressure applied with an algometer that is perceived as being painful; is measured in Kgf |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pain intensity | Baseline | Measured with a 100 mm Visual Analogue Scale |
| Neck flexors strength | Baseline | A dynamometer will be used against the forehead of the participants to quantify the isometric strength and units of measurement will be Newtons. |
| Tactile acuity | Baseline | Assessed as the ability of the participant to distinguish two points using a caliper and the measurement units is millimetres. |
| Neck extensors strength | Baseline | A dynamometer will be used against the posterior part of the head of the participants to quantify the isometric strength and units of measurement will be Newtons. |
| Neck lateral flexors strength | Baseline | A dynamometer will be used against the lateral aspect of the head of the participants to quantify the isometric strength and units of measurement will be Newtons. |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fear of movement | Baseline | Measured with the TAMPA Scale of Kinesiophobia (range: 13-52 and higher values are indicative of higher levels of fear of movement) |
| Fear-avoidance beliefs | Baseline | Measured with the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (range: 0-66 with higher scores indicating higher fear-avoidance beliefs) |
| Disability | Baseline | Measured using the Neck Disability Index (Range: 0 - 50 and higher values indicate higher disability) |
| Catastrophizing | Baseline | Measured with the Catastrophizing Scale (range 0-52 and higher values are indicative of higher pain catastrophizing) |
Countries
Portugal
Outcome results
None listed