SENSORY RE-TRAINING IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NECK PAIN

NCT05605132 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: Neck Pain
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 57
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

It is known that tactile acuity and proprioceptive sense decrease in patients with chronic neck pain. However, sensory re-training in patients with chronic neck pain has not been given sufficient importance. The effects of proprioceptive and tactile acuity training on pain intensity in patients with chronic neck pain will be compared in this study. Eligible participants will be divided into three groups as follows: Proprioceptive Training Group (PTG), Tactile Acuity Training Group (TAG), and Control Group (CG). The randomization will be performed using the block randomization method to obtain an equal number of participants in the groups. Each participant will be evaluated two times at a 4-week interval. Participants will be evaluated regarding subjective pain intensity by using a Numerical Rating Scale, temporal summation, and conditioned pain modulation using an algometer (JTECH Medical-Algometer Commander, USA). Neck proprioception exercises will be applied to the patients in the PTG at 3 days a week for 4 weeks. Tactile acuity training will be applied to the patients in the TAG 3 days a week for 4 weeks. Between the two assessments, the Control Group will not receive any treatment.

Conditions

Neck Pain; Cervical Pain; Neck Muscle Issue; Neck Pain, Posterior; Cervical Pain, Posterior

Keywords

oculomotor exercises; neck pain; cervical pain; sensory re-training

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• pain intensity

  It will be evaluated using a Numerical Rating Scale (0 indicate no pain, 10 indicate most vulnerable pain)

  Change form baseline at 4 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• pressure pain threshold

  Change form baseline at 4 weeks

• temporal summation

  Change form baseline at 4 weeks

• conditioned pain modulation

  Change form baseline at 4 weeks

• neck disability

  Change form baseline at 4 weeks

Study Arms (3)

Proprioceptive Training Group

EXPERIMENTAL

oculomotor exercises will be applied to the participants three times a week for four weeks. oculomotor exercises: head relocation gaze stability eye follow saccadic eye movement head and eye coordination

Other: Proprioceptive Training Exercise

Tactile Acuity Training

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will be requested to lie face down. Five points will be marked in the painful areas on the right and left sides of the neck. The distance between the points will equal the two-point discrimination value. A photograph of the neck will be taken. The patient will not see his/her own neck during the application but see the photograph of his/her neck. The points will be touched lightly with two different stimuli (a pen with a 2 mm diameter and a mushroom probe with an 11 mm diameter). Participants will be asked about the location and type of the stimuli. The interstimulus interval will be 15 seconds. If more than 90% of correct answers are obtained, the distance between the points will be reduced by 10%. The training will be performed in three separate blocks, a total of 72 stimuli (block duration = 6 minutes, rest time between blocks = 3 minutes, number of stimuli applied in each block = 24 stimuli). The treatment time will be 24 minutes.

Other: Tactile Acuity Training

Control Group

SHAM COMPARATOR

The participants will be evaluated two times at 4-week intervals. No intervention will be applied during the time frame.

Other: Control Group

Interventions

Proprioceptive Training Exercise OTHER

oculomotor exercises will be applied to the participants three times a week for four weeks. oculomotor exercises: * head relocation * gaze stability * eye follow * saccadic eye movement * head and eye coordination

Proprioceptive Training Group

Tactile Acuity Training OTHER

Participants will be requested to lie face down. Five points will be marked in the painful areas on the right and left sides of the neck. The distance between the points will equal the two-point discrimination value. A photograph of the neck will be taken. The patient will not see his/her own neck during the application but see the photograph of his/her neck. The points will be touched lightly with two different stimuli (a pen with a 2 mm diameter and a mushroom probe with an 11 mm diameter). Participants will be asked about the location and type of the stimuli. The interstimulus interval will be 15 seconds. If more than 90% of correct answers are obtained, the distance between the points will be reduced by 10%. The training will be performed in three separate blocks, a total of 72 stimuli (block duration = 6 minutes, rest time between blocks = 3 minutes, number of stimuli applied in each block = 24 stimuli). The treatment time will be 24 minutes.

Tactile Acuity Training

Control Group OTHER

The participants will be evaluated two times at 4-week intervals. No intervention will be applied during the time frame.

Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 60 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• to be aged between 20-60 years old
• Pain limited to the posterior of the cervical region.
• Pain that lasts longer than 3 months
• Pain severity of 3 or higher on the Visual Analog Scale

You may not qualify if:

• Malignant tumor in any part of the body (no screening will be performed for the presence of tumor and patients diagnosed with tumors before the study will not be included).
• Vertebral fractures
• Fibromyalgia
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• History of surgery in the neck or shoulder area
• Radicular pain
• Neurological deficit of disc pathologies
• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Pronounced cervical kyphosis
• Significant scoliosis involving the cervical region

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hacettepe University: lead

Study Sites (2)

Hacettepe Universty

Ankara, Sıhhıye, 06100, Turkey (Türkiye)

RECRUITING

Kübra

Ankara, Sıhhıye, 06230, Turkey (Türkiye)

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Canli K, Demirkiran G, Can F. The efficiency of tactile discrimination training and oculomotor exercises in people with chronic neck pain: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2025 May 27;26(1):519. doi: 10.1186/s12891-025-08755-0.

  PMID: 40420069 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neck Pain

Interventions

Control Groups

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Epidemiologic Research Design; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Research Design; Methods

Study Officials

• Kübra canlı

  Hacettepe University

  STUDY CHAIR

• Filiz Can

  Hacettepe University

  STUDY DIRECTOR

• Gökhan Demirkıran

  Hacettepe University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Kübra canlı

CONTACT

90 312 305 25 25; kbrac91@gmail.com

Kübra Canlı

CONTACT

90 312 305 25 25

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Research Assistant

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 29, 2022
• First Posted: November 4, 2022
• Study Start: January 18, 2023
• Primary Completion: December 30, 2023
• Study Completion: December 30, 2024
• Last Updated: August 25, 2023

Record last verified: 2022-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (2)