Eye-cervical Re-education and Motor Control Training Program in Chronic Neck Pain

NCT07438548 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: REC/RCR & AHS/24/01102
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 52
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The study was conducted to determine the comparative effects of an eye-cervical re-education and motor control training program on pain, range of motion and functional disability in chronic neck pain

Conditions

Chronic Neck Pain

Keywords

Chronic Neck Pain; Neck Ache; Eye-cervical Re-education; Motor Control Training Program; Functional Disability

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (8)

• Numeric Pain Rating Scale

  Numeric Pain Rating Scale is a subjective measure using which patient's rate their pain. It consists of 11 points, having an overall score ranging from 0 to 10, where: 0, 1 - 3, 4 - 6, 7 - 10 represents no pain, mild, moderate and the most severe pain respectively

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

• Neck Disability Index in Urdu language

  Neck pain disability index is used for the disability of the neck or the impact of neck pain on a person. It consists of 10 questions on pain intensity, personal care, lifting, reading, headaches, concentration, work, driving, sleeping and recreation. Performance in each item is described in 6 stages, from 0 to 5 points. The total of 0-4 points indicate no disability, 5-14 points indicate mild disability, 15-24 points indicate moderate disability, 25-34 points indicate severe disability and 35-50 points indicate complete disability

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

• ROM Cervical spine (Flexion)

  Changes in cervical spine flexion ROM at baseline and 8th week of intervention was measured using goniometer.

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

• ROM Cervical Spine (Extension)

  Changes in cervical spine extension ROM at baseline and 8th week of intervention was measured using goniometer.

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

• ROM Cervical Spine (Lateral Flexion) Left Side

  Changes in cervical spine lateral flexion on left side ROM at baseline and 8th week of intervention was measured using goniometer.

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

• ROM Cervical Spine (Lateral Flexion) Right Side

  Changes in cervical spine lateral flexion on right side ROM at baseline and 8th week of intervention was measured using goniometer.

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

• ROM Cervical Spine (Rotation) Left Side

  Changes in cervical spine rotation on left side ROM at baseline and 8th week of intervention was measured using goniometer.

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

• ROM Cervical Spine (Rotation) Right Side

  Changes in cervical spine rotation on right side ROM at baseline and 8th week of intervention was measured using goniometer.

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Eye-cervical Re-education Program

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: Eye-cervical Re-education Program; Other: Standardized Physiotherapy Treatment

Motor Control Training Program

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Other: Motor Control Training Program; Other: Standardized Physiotherapy Treatment

Interventions

Eye-cervical Re-education Program OTHER

Eye-cervical Re-education program was carried out consisting of 10 proprioceptive reprogramming intervention steps : Activation of eye muscles, Passive cervical mobilization with fixed gaze, Active cervical mobility with directed gaze , Global cervical motion exercise , Neck mobility with the trunk , Head reposition exercise (Active), Head reposition exercise (Passive), Free coordination exercise, Manual resistance coordination exercise and Oculo-cervical coordination with soft stimuli. All exercises were done ten times each. 24 sessions were conducted for 8 weeks, with 3 sessions scheduled every week.

Eye-cervical Re-education Program

Motor Control Training Program OTHER

Motor Control Training Program was performed in supine position. It consisted of four parts, which include the cranio-cervical flexor exercise; co-contraction of neck flexors and extensors; the cranio-cervical extensor exercise; and the scapular re-education exercises. An air-filled cuff was put behind the neck and the patient tried to make five progressive positions with an increase in ROM i.e. to make improvements in pressure of 22, 24, 26, 28 and eventually 30 mmHg on pressure gauge. All exercises were done ten times each. 24 sessions were conducted for 8 weeks, with 3 sessions scheduled every week.

Motor Control Training Program

Standardized Physiotherapy Treatment OTHER

Electric Hot pack and TENS having (200 µs pulse-width, 1Hz frequency) were applied for 10 minutes.

Eye-cervical Re-education Program; Motor Control Training Program

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 50 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Neck pain for minimum 3 months
• Pain intensity on NPRS between 4 to 7
• Limited neck range of motion
• Medical diagnosis (Grade-II Neck pain) as per classification by "Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010"
• Cervical discomfort resulting from repetitive motion or prolonged postures.

You may not qualify if:

• History of neck trauma/Fracture/Surgery/ Whiplash Injury
• Systemic illness, rheumatic conditions, inflammatory joint disease
• Other spine pathologies Cervical myelopathy / Fibromyalgia / Multiple Sclerosis/ Cervical radiculopathy
• Tumor symptoms like high temperature, shivering, night pain

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Riphah International University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Rafiq Medical Center

Lahore, Punjab Province, 05412, Pakistan

Location

Related Publications (10)

• Agrawal M, Borkar P. Journal of Population Therapeutics & Clinical Pharmacology. 2010.

  BACKGROUND

• Aal NMA, Elkeblawy MA, Amine RAM. Effectiveness of eye-cervical re-education versus motor imagery therapy on chronic neck pain: A randomized controlled trial. Sport TK: revista euroamericana de ciencias del deporte. 2024(13):6.

  BACKGROUND

• Bhende R, Shinde S, Jain P. Effect of Integrated Postural Training in Individuals with TextNeck Syndrome. J Kinesiol Exerc Sci. 2024;108:1-18.

  BACKGROUND

• Mendes Fernandes T, Mendez-Sanchez R, Puente-Gonzalez AS, Martin-Vallejo FJ, Falla D, Vila-Cha C. A randomized controlled trial on the effects of "Global Postural Re-education" versus neck specific exercise on pain, disability, postural control, and neuromuscular features in women with chronic non-specific neck pain. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2023 Feb;59(1):42-53. doi: 10.23736/S1973-9087.22.07554-2. Epub 2023 Jan 4.

  PMID: 36598342 BACKGROUND

• 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 BACKGROUND

• Goudarzi L, Ghomashchi H, Vahedi M, Kahlaee AH. Investigating the Effect of Addition of Cervical Proprioceptive Training to Conventional Physiotherapy on Visual, Vestibular and Proprioceptive Dependency of Postural Control in Patients with Chronic Non-Specific Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. Arch Bone Jt Surg. 2024;12(1):36-50. doi: 10.22038/ABJS.2023.74763.3462.

  PMID: 38318308 BACKGROUND

• Majcen Rosker Z, Vodicar M, Kristjansson E. Relationship between Cervicocephalic Kinesthetic Sensibility Measured during Dynamic Unpredictable Head Movements and Eye Movement Control or Postural Balance in Neck Pain Patients. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jul 9;19(14):8405. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19148405.

  PMID: 35886255 BACKGROUND

• Gumuscu BH, Kisa EP, Kara Kaya B, Muammer R. Comparison of three different exercise trainings in patients with chronic neck pain: a randomized controlled study. Korean J Pain. 2023 Apr 1;36(2):242-252. doi: 10.3344/kjp.22371. Epub 2023 Mar 21.

  PMID: 36941087 BACKGROUND

• Perez-Cabezas V, Ruiz-Molinero C, Jimenez-Rejano JJ, Chamorro-Moriana G, Gonzalez-Medina G, Chillon-Martinez R. Effectiveness of an Eye-Cervical Re-Education Program in Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Feb 26;2020:2760413. doi: 10.1155/2020/2760413. eCollection 2020.

  PMID: 32184889 BACKGROUND

• Suvarnnato T, Puntumetakul R, Uthaikhup S, Boucaut R. Effect of specific deep cervical muscle exercises on functional disability, pain intensity, craniovertebral angle, and neck-muscle strength in chronic mechanical neck pain: a randomized controlled trial. J Pain Res. 2019 Mar 7;12:915-925. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S190125. eCollection 2019.

  PMID: 30881101 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neck Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Study Officials

• Ali Raza, MS

  Riphah International University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 23, 2026
• First Posted: February 27, 2026
• Study Start: January 13, 2025
• Primary Completion: May 31, 2025
• Study Completion: October 31, 2025
• Last Updated: February 27, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)