Whiplash Injury of Cervical Spine
Conditions
Keywords
Percutaneous neuromodulation therapies, Exercise, Whiplash Injury of Cervical Spine
Brief summary
This study evaluates the improvement of patients with whiplash injury by comparing two statistical groups: a control group with exercise alone and an experimental group with exercise and percutaneous musculoskeletal neuromodulation of the accessory nerve. The following variables are evaluated: Neck Disability Index, VAS, cervical ROM, and algometry in the upper trapezius.
Interventions
OTHERExercise
The intervention were 13 different exercises. Of the 13 exercises, 6 are specific activation and strength exercises targeting the deep neck muscles, whilst 7 are general neck strength and endurance exercises. The total duration of the programme will be 40 minutes. Following the first session of the exercise programme, a further session was scheduled for later in the week.
OTHERUltrasounded Percutaneous Neuromodulation
This procedure involved inserting a needle into contact with the epineurium of the accessory nerve at neck level and applying electrical stimulation. With the aid of an ultrasound scanner, the physiotherapist performing the procedures approached the epineurium of the accessory nerve using a solid needle (Agupunt® brand, 0.30 mm × 0.40 mm). Stimulation was performed using a compensated biphasic low-frequency current with a frequency of 2 Hz and a pulse width of 250 microseconds for 20 minutes using the FisioInvasiva® 2.0 device (PRIM, Madrid, Spain) via PES (Percutaneal Electrical Stimulation) currents and an electrode to complete the circuit. The procedure is called Ultrasounded Percutaneous Neuromodulation (US-PNM).
Sponsors
CEU San Pablo University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
The inclusion criteria were as follows: * Having suffered a traffic accident within a period not exceeding two weeks prior to the assessment. * Diagnosed with Grade I or II Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD) according to the Quebec Task Force (QTF). * Being at least 18 years of age. * Have a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score greater than 20 mm. * Have a cervical disability greater than 10 points according to the NDI. The
Exclusion criteria
were as follows: * Neck pain resulting from previous traffic accidents * Conditions that may interfere with full participation (cardiovascular and neurological diseases and severe mental disorders) * Treatment prior to starting the study * Cervical surgery and congenital spinal disorders * Fractures and dislocations of the neck vertebrae * Alcohol or drug abuse * Allergies to metals * Belonephobia
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Neck Disability Index (NDI) | From enrollment to the end of the treatment at 4 weeks | It is a scale that measures neck disability in patients with non-specific neck pain. The scale include 10 questions of 6 items with a score from 0 to 5. 0 means no limitation and 5 great limitation. The scores are added up and through indirect proportionality a percentage is obtained, with 0% being absence of pain and disability and 100% being maximum pain and disability. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pain threshold in the ascending fibres of the trapezius muscle | From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks | To measure the pain threshold of the ascending fibres of the trapezius muscles, pressure algometry was performed on the point of greatest pain described by the patient in the ascending fibres of the trapezius muscles using a conventional algometer. |
| Active cervical range of motion (ROM) | From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks | Cervical ROM was measured using a conventional two-arm goniometer, recording active movements of flexion, extension, left and right lateral flexion, and left and right rotation. |
| Pain intensity measured using VAS | From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks | The VAS is a scale used to assess patients' pain intensity. The VAS consists of a straight line measuring 10 centimetres, where the left end is 0 (no pain) and the right end is 10 (the worst pain imaginable). Participants will indicate on the line the point that best reflects the intensity of their pain at the time of assessment. |
Countries
Spain
Outcome results
None listed