Application Based Behavior Nudging Active Breaks Versus Conventional Ergonomic Education for Thoracic Mobility and Neck Pain in Office Workers

NCT07791706 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: RIU/RCRAHS-ISB/REC/MSPT/02440
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 64
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

This study is about neck pain and upper-back movement in office workers. Sitting for long hours and working on computers can contribute to neck and upper-back discomfort. The study will compare two approaches: App-Based Active Breaks: An app will remind participants to take 1 minute movement breaks during their workday. Conventional Approach: Participants will receive ergonomic advice and exercises to do twice a day. The exercises include simple movements for the upper back, shoulders, and neck. Participants will be assessed for neck pain, neck disability, upper-back movement, muscle endurance, and work-related difficulties before and after the program. The active program will last 6 weeks, followed by a final assessment in week 8. Participation is voluntary, and participants can withdraw at any time. Their personal information will be kept confidential. The study aims to find out whether taking short, regular movement breaks with app reminders can help reduce neck pain and improve upper-back movement in office workers.

Conditions

Neck Pain Musculoskeletal

Keywords

Neck Pain; Thoracic Mobility; Office Workers; Active Breaks; Behavior Nudging; Mobile App; Ergonomic Education; Exercise Adherence

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Exercise Adherence

  Adherence to the prescribed active breaks and mobility exercises, assessed using the Exercise Adherence Rating Scale and app based activity logs.

  Baseline (Week 0) to Week 8

Study Arms (2)

App Based Behavior Nudging Active Breaks

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive app reminders 7-8 times during the workday for six weeks to take one minute active breaks and perform the prescribed mobility exercises.

Behavioral: App Based Behavior Nudging Active Breaks

Conventional Ergonomic Education and Exercise

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will perform the prescribed mobility exercises twice daily, in the morning and afternoon, without app reminders. They will also receive ergonomic guidance on posture, movement safety, and pain monitoring.

Behavioral: Conventional Ergonomic Education and Exercise

Interventions

App Based Behavior Nudging Active Breaks BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive app reminders 7-8 times during the workday for six weeks to perform one-minute active breaks using the prescribed mobility exercises. The app will include visual reminders and progress streaks

App Based Behavior Nudging Active Breaks

Conventional Ergonomic Education and Exercise BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive ergonomic education and perform the prescribed mobility exercises twice daily, in the morning and afternoon, without app reminders. They will also receive guidance on posture, movement safety, and pain monitoring.

Conventional Ergonomic Education and Exercise

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 25 Weeks - 50 Weeks
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• years, employed in call-center or IT support roles for ≥30 hours per week.
• Sub-acute or chronic non-specific neck and upper thoracic pain
• Neck Disability Index (NDI) score ≥10/50 indicating mild to moderate disability.
• Access to a smartphone compatible with the intervention app
• Able to understand and follow app prompts in English/Urdu.

You may not qualify if:

• Specific neck pathology (cervical radiculopathy, myelopathy, fracture, malignancy, infection, or inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis).
• Post-surgical conditions of the cervical or thoracic spine or shoulder within the past 6 months.
• Severe thoracic kyphosis, scoliosis, or other structural spinal deformities interfering with movement assessment.
• Pregnancy or conditions contraindicating light mobility exercises (e.g., vertigo, uncontrolled hypertension).
• Ongoing structured physiotherapy or chiropractic management for neck or upper back pain.
• Planned leave exceeding 2 consecutive weeks during the trial period.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Riphah International University: lead

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neck Pain

Interventions

Exercise

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Officials

• Tayyeba Gul, Ms OMPT

  Riphah International University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Maryam Kundi

CONTACT

+923405754453; maryam.kundi@riphah.edu.pk

Study Design

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

Model Details: Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two parallel groups. The intervention group will receive app-based behavior-nudging active breaks, while the control group will receive conventional ergonomic education and exercise. Both groups will be followed for the same study period, and outcomes will be compared between the groups.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 25, 2026
• First Posted: August 28, 2026
• Study Start: August 17, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): November 17, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 17, 2026
• Last Updated: August 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share