Effect Of PNF Techniques Versus CCEP On Pain, Function and Quality of Life In Patients With Upper Cross Syndrome

NCT07058272 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2020-GCUF-079297
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 38
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The study aims to determine which approach either PNF Techniques or Comprehensive Corrective Exercise Protocol provides better outcomes for pain relief, functional improvement, and quality of life in patients with upper cross syndrome.

Conditions

Upper Cross Syndrome

Keywords

Postural Balance; Range of Motion; Muscle Stretching Exercises; Neck Muscles

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Neck Disability Index

  NDI comprises 10 items. Each item is rated on a 6-point scale from 0 (no disability) to 5 (complete disability), yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 50. This score can be converted into a percentage by multiplying by 2, resulting in a range from 0% (no disability) to 100% (complete disability). Severity Classification: 0-4: No disability 5-14: Mild disability 15-24: Moderate disability 25-34: Severe disability 35-50: Complete disability

  8 weeks

• SF-12 Health Survey

  The SF-12 Health Survey is a concise, 12-item instrument derived from the SF-36, designed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) across two primary domains: physical health and mental health. It comprises 8 domains. Scores above 50 indicate better health than the average population, while scores below 50 suggest worse health. Each point difference corresponds to a 0.1 standard deviation change

  8 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Numeric Pain Rating Scale

  8 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Group 1

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

CCEP and TENS

Other: Comprehensive corrective exercise protocol

Group 2

EXPERIMENTAL

PNF and TENS

Other: Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Techniques

Interventions

Comprehensive corrective exercise protocol OTHER

Initial phase exercises include lying supine on a foam roll with the arms in 3 different abduction angles, side-lying external rotation, side-lying forward flexion, standing diagonal flexion , and military press .Initial phase lasts for 2 weeks, with exercises progressing from 7 Reps of 10-second holds to 10 Reps of 15-second hold. Improvement phase consist of exercises including side-lying external rotation with a dumbbell , side-lying forward flexion with a dumbbell , standing diagonal flexion with a dumbbell, standing external rotation with Thera-Band, standing diagonal flexion with Thera-Band, abduction while sitting on a training ball, prone lying V, T, and W exercises, and standing abduction on a balance board. The improvement phase lasts for 2 weeks, with exercises progressing from seven sets of 10-seconds hold to 10 sets of 15 secs hold. The exercises in the maintenance phase are the same as those in the improvement phase, with no increase in intensity and frequency

Group 1

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Techniques OTHER

In this study following PNF Stretching techniques are used * Hold-relax or Contract-relax * Hold-relax with agonist contraction In the Hold-Relax or Contract-Relax technique, stretching is performed 4sessions per week for each muscle group, with each session lasting 40 min. The protocol includes a 10-sec hold phase followed by a 10-sec contraction phase, repeated for 7 reps . The total duration of this program is 8weeks including 6 weeks of treatment phase and last 2 weeks of detraining. In Hold-Relax with Agonist contract, the same procedure is followed as in Hold-Relax method, with 4sessions per week for each muscle group. The patient is asked to hold the initial stretch for 10 sec, followed by a relaxation phase. Afterward, the agonist muscle is contracted to actively move further into the stretch, which is then held for 10 sec. This protocol is performed for 7 reps per session, and the total duration of study is 8 weeks including 6 weeks of treatment program with last 2 weeks

Group 2

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 25 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age : 25-65
• Symptoms of upper cross syndrome appeared from maximum 6 months
• Occiput to wall test positive
• Patients presenting postural changes e.g: severe kyphosis

You may not qualify if:

• Any apparent misalignment in the pelvis or lower limbs.
• Rotation exceeding 5 degrees during forward bending as a result of scoliosis.
• Prior history of joint disorders in the spine, shoulders, and pelvis.
• Body weight that falls outside the normal range (BMI between 18 and 25)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Elite College of Management Sciences, Gujranwala, Pakistan: lead

Study Sites (1)

Al-Raee Hospital

Gujranwala, Punjab Province, Pakistan

Location

Related Publications (3)

• (3)Asad, A., Farooq, N., Kafeel, S., Hassan, T., & Zubair, M. (2021). Association of upper crossed syndrome and posture among general population having neck pain in Islamabad. Journal of Rehman Medical Institute, 7(2), 07-11.

  BACKGROUND

• Seidi F, Bayattork M, Minoonejad H, Andersen LL, Page P. Comprehensive corrective exercise program improves alignment, muscle activation and movement pattern of men with upper crossed syndrome: randomized controlled trial. Sci Rep. 2020 Nov 26;10(1):20688. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-77571-4.

  PMID: 33244045 BACKGROUND

• Chang MC, Choo YJ, Hong K, Boudier-Reveret M, Yang S. Treatment of Upper Crossed Syndrome: A Narrative Systematic Review. Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Aug 17;11(16):2328. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11162328.

  PMID: 37628525 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Oculocerebral hypopigmentation syndrome type Preus

Interventions

Muscle Stretching Exercises; Methods

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Exercise Therapy; Rehabilitation; Aftercare; Continuity of Patient Care; Patient Care; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Exercise; Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Investigative Techniques

Study Officials

• Usman Iqbal Janjua

  Ellite College of Managment Sciences, Gujranwala

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
• Masking Details: Randomization by Chit and Draw Method
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 12, 2025
• First Posted: July 10, 2025
• Study Start: May 8, 2025
• Primary Completion: June 30, 2025
• Study Completion: July 1, 2025
• Last Updated: July 10, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)