Effect of Functional Training and Isometric Exercises on Pain, ROM, and Functional Status in Patients With Neck Pain

NCT05624021 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: RRC-2019-17
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders have been rising fast around the globe leading to neck pain and scapular muscle dysfunction, contributing to a decrease in neck movements and functional limitations. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of scapular functional exercise (SFE) in combination with cervical isometric exercises (CIE) on neck pain, cervical range of motion, and functional limitations among participants with chronic mechanical neck pain.The study was based on a two-arm parallel group pretest-posttest randomized control trial design. Thirty participants (females 21 and males 9; average age 28.94±3.77 years) were randomly allocated to groups A and B (n=15/group). The group's A and B participants received a common intervention, such as CIE and hot packs. However, group A received the SFE in addition to common interventions. The outcomes, such as neck pain, cervical ROM, and functional limitations, were evaluated using a numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), standard universal goniometer, and neck disability index questionnaire at baseline and 4-week post-intervention. The paired and unpaired t-test was used to analyze the intervention effects on the outcomes within-group and between-group, keeping the significance level alpha set at p\<0.05.

Conditions

Chronic Pain

Keywords

Chronic pain; Range of motion; Functional limitations; Isometric exercises; Functional training

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Neumeric pain rating scale (NPRS)

  Neck pain was assessed by a nuemeric pain rating scale. It is an 11-points numeric scale marked with 0 to 10 between either end. Zero at one end and ten at the opposite end indicate no pain and unbearable/worst imaginable pain, respectively. The participants were asked to rate their current level of pain, as well as their worst and least amounts of pain in the past 24 hours.

  4 weeks

• Range of Motion (ROM)

  Cervical range of motion was measured by a standard universal goniometer.

  4 weeks

• Functional limitations

  The functional limitation due to mechanical neck pain was evaluated by a neck disability index questionnaire (NDI).

  4 weeks

Study Arms (2)

SFT group

EXPERIMENTAL

Received Scapular functional training and cervical isometric exercises

Other: Scapular functional training; Other: Cervical isometric exercises; Other: Moist heating

Conventional group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Received only isometric cervical exercises and heating

Other: Cervical isometric exercises; Other: Moist heating

Interventions

Scapular functional training OTHER

The scapular functional training consists of press up and push up plus. Press up was done in sitting position on the training bench, feet on the floor with straight arm and the palms on the edge of the bench fingers pointing forward and then lift off and dip down just in front of the seat by moving the shoulder girdle. Progression is done by placing weight on the thigh. Push-up plus exercise started from a push up position on the hand, feet or knees and keeping the torso rigid by bracing the abdominals followed by protracting the scapula as high as possible. Progression is done moving from knees to the feet or adding resistance on the upper back. The training continued for three sessions per week for four weeks.

SFT group

Cervical isometric exercises OTHER

The isometric neck exercises taught to all the participants to perform in neutral sitting positions at home thrice a day for 15-days continuously. The sequences of exercises were shoulder circling in clockwise and anticlockwise direction, scapular retraction with cervical retraction, neck flexion, extension, either side of lateral bending/flexion, left and right rotation. Each exercise follows a set of 10 repetition of maximum voluntary contraction with a progressive hold time of 3, 5, 7, and 10 seconds depending on the severity of pain and tolerance of the participants.

Conventional group; SFT group

Moist heating OTHER

A hydrocollator moist heat packs was applied over back of the neck in supine position to receive optimal heating. It was given for 20 minutes/day, five-day a week for four-week.

Conventional group; SFT group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 22 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Both male and female with aged range 22-35 years
• Neck pain of more than 3 months in duration
• Having neck pain without symptoms distal to shoulder
• Participant had not received any clinical treatment for their neck pain within 1-months, and
• Willingness to participate in the study.

You may not qualify if:

• Having a diagnosis of cervical spinal stenosis
• Patients with serious pathology (e.g., neoplasm, fractures and inflammatory diseases, unilateral and bilateral upper extremity radicular symptoms (cervical radiculopathy)
• Prior surgery of cervical spine
• Evidence of nerve root compression
• Pregnant women, and
• Showed poor cooperation in the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• King Saud University: lead
• Majmaah University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Rehabilitation Research Chair

Riyadh, 11433, Saudi Arabia

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Bharti N, Ahmed H, Hasan S, Iqbal A, Uddin S, Ahamed WM, Ahmad F, Mujtaba MA, Alghadir AH. Efficacy of Scapular Functional and Cervical Isometric Exercises in the Management of Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain: A Randomized Comparative Trial. Pain Res Manag. 2024 Dec 19;2024:5873384. doi: 10.1155/prm/5873384. eCollection 2024.

  PMID: 39734604 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Chronic Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Study Officials

• Amir Iqbal, MPT

  King Saud University

  STUDY CHAIR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Double-blinded study
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Prinicipal Investigator

Model Details: Randomized controlled Trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 7, 2022
• First Posted: November 21, 2022
• Study Start: August 23, 2019
• Primary Completion: December 11, 2019
• Study Completion: March 29, 2020
• Last Updated: November 23, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-11

Locations

SA (1)