Eyeball Exercises and Cervical Stabilization in Text Neck Syndrome

NCT07684183 | Enrolling By Invitation

• 1 other identifier: UOL/IREB/25/12/0041
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 74
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The prolonged use of electronic devices in the population nowadays contributes to the development of various musculoskeletal disorders affecting the neck. One such condition is the Text neck syndrome characterized by neck pain and muscular imbalance in the region as well as development of forward head posture. Some additional symptoms include headaches, impaired range of motion and eye strain. Eyeball exercises have been shown to improve symptoms of neck pain, and cervical stabilization has demonstrated positive effects on the deep cervical flexors, thereby improving forward head posture and other neck-associated symptoms. However, the combined effect of these two interventions has not been studied to treat text neck syndrome before. The primary outcome measures include the pain measured through Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and pain pressure threshold (algometer), whereas the secondary outcome measures include the craniovertebral angle (CVA) and functional disability measured through neck disability index (NDI).

Conditions

Text Neck Syndrome

Keywords

Text neck syndrome; Cervical Stabilization; Pressure biofeedback unit; Eyeball exercises; Physiotherapy; Randomized clinical trial; pain management; neck disability index

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Pain Intensity

  Change in pain intensity measured using the Numeric Pain rating Scale (NPRS, 0-10 cm). Lower limit: 0 Upper limit: 10 Lower value means less pain

  Baseline, at 3rd week and at 6th week

• Neck Disability

  Functional disability measured using the Neck Disability Index (NDI) - Urdu validated version. Lower limit: 0 Upper limit: 50 Lower value indicates lesser disability

  Baseline, at 3rd week and at 6th week

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Craniovertebral Angle (CVA)

  Baseline, at 3rd week and at 6th week

• Pain Pressure Threshold (PPT)

  Baseline, at 3rd week and at 6th week

Study Arms (2)

Physiotherapy care, Cervical stabilisation and eyeball exercises

EXPERIMENTAL

These patients will receive physiotherapy care along with cervical stabilization exercises and eyeball exercises. Treatment schedule: 3 sessions on alternate days for 6 weeks.

Other: Physiotherapy care, Cervical Stabilization and Eyeball Exercises

Physiotherpy care, Cervical stabilisation and placebo

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

These patients will receive physiotherapy care along with cervical stabilization exercises and placebo treatment in place of eyeball exercises. Treatment schedule: 3 sessions on alternate days for 6 weeks.

Other: Phyisotherapy Care, Cervical Stabilization and placebo exercises

Interventions

Physiotherapy care, Cervical Stabilization and Eyeball Exercises OTHER

Physiotherapy care: 30minutes of physiotherapy, including hotpack for 10 minutes,cervical stretching (3sets/15-second hold,5 repetitions), cervical isometrics (5-10 reps/3sets), postural correction exercises (5-10 reps/2-3 sets), active ROMs of the neck.•Cervical Stabilization: Pressure biofeedback unit will be used, the patient will perform chin tucks while the inflated unit is below the head at 20mmHg initially, and will be raised to 30mmHg. A 10 seconds hold with 10 repetitions, including a 10-second rest interval between. A total of 3sets will be performed with 15second interval between each set. 15 minutes total •Eyeball exercises:The patient is then asked to carry out the described eyeball movements, each movement to be held for 10 seconds and repeated 4 times through the maximum range,directions: Leftward, rightward, upper left, lower left, upper and lower right, left and right side circular, leftward and rightward figure 8 rotation. 2sets with 15seconds interval. 15 mins total.

Physiotherapy care, Cervical stabilisation and eyeball exercises

Phyisotherapy Care, Cervical Stabilization and placebo exercises OTHER

Physiotherapy care:30minutes of physiotherapy, including hotpack for 10 minutes, cervical stretching(3sets/15second hold, 5reps), cervical isometrics(5-10 reps/3sets), postural correction exercises(5-10 reps/2-3 sets), active ROMs of the neck.•Cervical stabilization: Pressure biofeedback unit will be used, the patient will perform chin tucks while the inflated unit is below the head at 20mmHg initially, and will be raised to 30mmHg. A10seconds hold with 10 repetitions, including a 10second rest interval between. A total of 3sets will be performed with 15second interval between each set,15 minutes total. •Placebo treatment:These exercises will take 10-15 minutes and the purpose is to engage the patient. These exercises do not have any effect on the ocular muscle of the eye and will only serve as a source of relaxation and lubrication for the eyes of the patient: blink slowly \& fully (10reps,3sets with10-15seconds interval), fix gaze (10seconds, 3-5reps), eyes closed breathing 60seconds.

Physiotherpy care, Cervical stabilisation and placebo

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 25 Years - 50 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Neck Disability Index (NDI) scoring: \>5 and \<24
• Duration of screen usage: 4-6 hours/day
• Pain: ranging from mild - moderate 4-7 Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)

You may not qualify if:

• Already undergoing physical therapy
• Cervical trauma, radiculopathy, pregnancy, malignancies, torticollis, herniation, stenosis, osteoporosis, etc
• Diagnosed with a CNS abnormality

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Lahore: lead

Study Sites (1)

The University of Lahore Teaching Hospital

Lahore, Punjab Province, 54782, Pakistan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Agnosia

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Perceptual Disorders; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Sahreen Anwar, Ph.D

  University of Lahore

  STUDY CHAIR

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: June 28, 2026
• First Posted: July 6, 2026
• Study Start: November 15, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 15, 2026
• Last Updated: July 27, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)