Effects of Telerehabilitation and Supervised Clinic Based Rehab With Pain Neuroscience Education for Pain,Kinesiophobia and Functional Disability Among Chronic Non-Specific Neck Pain Patients

NCT07617623 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: UBAS/ERB/26/04/027
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 45
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Chronic non-specific neck pain is a common musculoskeletal condition affecting a large proportion of the population worldwide. It is characterized by persistent neck pain lasting more than three months without a specific underlying pathology. Many patients experience ongoing symptoms such as pain, reduced range of motion, functional limitations, and psychological factors like kinesiophobia, which can negatively affect recovery and quality of life. Conventional physiotherapy, including supervised clinic-based rehabilitation, is widely used for the management of chronic non-specific neck pain. These programs typically involve exercise therapy and patient education; however, access to regular in-clinic treatment can be limited due to factors such as travel, cost, and time constraints. Telerehabilitation has emerged as an alternative approach that allows delivery of physiotherapy services through online platforms, improving accessibility and convenience for patients. In addition, pain neuroscience education (PNE) is an evidence-based strategy that helps patients understand pain mechanisms, reduce fear-avoidance behaviors, and improve treatment outcomes when combined with exercise therapy. Although both telerehabilitation and supervised clinic-based rehabilitation are effective, there is limited evidence directly comparing these two approaches when combined with standardized pain neuroscience education. Therefore, this randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effects of telerehabilitation with pain neuroscience education and supervised clinic-based rehabilitation with pain neuroscience education on pain intensity, functional disability, and kinesiophobia in individuals with chronic non-specific neck pain.

Conditions

Chronic Non-Specific Neck Pain

Keywords

Pain Neuroscience Education; Telerehabilitation; Supervised Clinic Based Rehab; Kinesiophobia; Chronic Non-Specific Neck Pain

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Numeric Pain Rating Scale for Pain Intensity (NPRS)

  Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), an 11-point self-reported scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). The NPRS is a valid, reliable, and responsive tool commonly used to evaluate pain intensity in individuals with neck pain.

  6 weeks

• Neck Disability Index for Functional Disability (NDI)

  Functional disability will be assessed using the Neck Disability Index (NDI), a self-reported questionnaire consisting of 10 items related to daily activities, including pain intensity, personal care, lifting, reading, concentration, headache, work, driving, sleeping, and recreation. Each item is scored from 0 to 5, with total scores ranging from 0 to 50. Higher scores indicate greater disability.

  6 weeks

• Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK-11)

  Kinesiophobia will be assessed using the 11-item Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK-11). Each item is scored on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree), with total scores ranging from 11 to 44. Higher scores indicate greater fear of movement and reinjury.

  6 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Telerehabilitation with Pain Neuroscience Education

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive a structured rehabilitation program delivered via online platforms. The intervention includes therapeutic exercises targeting cervical and scapular muscles along with pain neuroscience education. Sessions will be conducted three times per week for six weeks under remote supervision.

Other: Telerehabilitation with Pain Neuroscience Education

Supervised Clinic Based Rehab with Pain Neuroscience Education

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will receive supervised face-to-face physiotherapy in a clinical setting. The intervention includes the same therapeutic exercises and pain neuroscience education as the experimental group, delivered under direct supervision of a physiotherapist. Sessions will be conducted three times per week for six weeks.

Other: Supervised Clinic Based Rehab with Pain Neuroscience Education

Interventions

Telerehabilitation with Pain Neuroscience Education OTHER

A remotely delivered physical therapy program including stretching and strengthening exercises for cervical and scapular muscles combined with pain neuroscience education, delivered via online platforms three times per week for six weeks.

Telerehabilitation with Pain Neuroscience Education

Supervised Clinic Based Rehab with Pain Neuroscience Education OTHER

A clinic-based physiotherapy program including stretching and strengthening exercises for cervical and scapular muscles combined with pain neuroscience education, delivered under direct supervision three times per week for six weeks.

Supervised Clinic Based Rehab with Pain Neuroscience Education

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 40 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Age between 18-40 years of both male and female gender.
• Currently suffering from neck pain \& bilateral neck pain for at least three months.
• Moderate pain intensity (30mm to 70mm) on Visual Analogue Scale .
• Access \& knowledge of mobile phone and internet use .

You may not qualify if:

• Any previous neck surgery or cervical trauma .
• Fibromyalgia \& Myelopathy .
• Spinal deformities like thoracic hyper kyphosis or scoliosis .
• Cervical radiculopathy ,vertigo, cancer \& vertebral fractures.
• Infection or inflammatory arthritis in cervical spine .
• History of the whiplash injury .
• Physiotherapeutic treatment in the last six months .
• Cognitive disorder that prohibited the pain neuroscience education intervention from being followed .

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences: lead

Study Sites (1)

Saleem Memorial Hospital Lahore

Lahore, 54000, Pakistan

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Kinesiophobia

Interventions

Telerehabilitation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Phobic Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Rehabilitation; Aftercare; Continuity of Patient Care; Patient Care; Therapeutics; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services; Telemedicine; Delivery of Health Care; Patient Care Management; Health Services Administration

Study Officials

• Dr Shoaib Waqas, Phd

  Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Central Study Contacts

Dr Shoaib Waqas, Phd

CONTACT

+92 302 4552109; shoaib.waqas@ubas.edu.pk

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: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 23, 2026
• First Posted: June 1, 2026
• Study Start: June 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): November 20, 2026
• Last Updated: June 29, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Locations

PA (1)