Pain Neuroscience Education and Exercise

Neck Pain Clinical Trial

Official title:

Pain Neuroscience Education and Exercise Versus Exercise for University Students With Chronic Idiopathic Neck Pain: a Randomized, Controlled and Single Blind Study

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03362333
• Other study ID #: PCEDCSS-FMUP 18
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: November 28, 2017
• Last updated: December 4, 2017
• Start date: October 1, 2015
• Est. completion date: October 30, 2016

Study information

• Verified date: December 2017
• Source: Aveiro University
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This study examined the effects of pain neuroscience education plus exercise when compared with exercise only in university students with chronic idiopathic neck pain.

Description:

This study examined the effects of pain neuroscience education plus exercise when compared with exercise only in university students with chronic idiopathic neck pain.

University students with chronic neck pain were randomly allocated to receive pain neuroscience education and exercise or exercise only and assessed at baseline, after the intervention and at 3 months follow up. Outcome variables were pain intensity (primary outcome), disability, fear of movement, catastrophizing, knowledge of pain neurophysiology, pressure pain thresholds and neck and scapular muscle endurance.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 52
• Est. completion date: October 30, 2016
• Est. primary completion date: February 28, 2016
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants could enter the study if they had chronic idiopathic neck pain, defined as pain felt in the neck at least once a week in the previous 3 months and for which no cause had been established. Furthermore, they were required to have a minimum pain intensity in the previous week of 2 in the visual analogue scale.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants were excluded if they had had physiotherapy for their neck pain in the 6 months previous to the study, if they had rheumatic, nervous, cardiac and/or respiratory pathology that could prevent or make it difficult to do the exercises. Exclusion criteria were ascertained by self-report.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Neck Pain

Intervention

Other:
• Exercise
Exercises were aimed at increasing the endurance and strength of the deep neck flexor and extensor muscles and of the scapular stabilizer muscles.
• Pain neuroscience education
Pain neuroscience education covered the neurophysiology of pain, transition from acute to chronic pain and the nervous system ability to modulate the pain experience.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Aveiro University

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Pain intensity	Measured using the visual analogue scale	At the beginning
Primary	Pain intensity	Measured using the visual analogue scale	5 weeks
Primary	Pain intensity	Measured using the visual analogue scale	At 3 months
Secondary	Deep neck flexor endurance	Method of assessment - physical test; the participant is in supine and he/she is asked to flex the upper cervical spine, move their head away from the couch approximately 2.5 cm and then maintain this position for as long as possible. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participant holds the position.	At the beginning
Secondary	Deep neck flexor endurance	Method of assessment - physical test; the participant is in supine and he/she is asked to flex the upper cervical spine, move their head away from the couch approximately 2.5 cm and then maintain this position for as long as possible. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participant holds the position.	5 weeks
Secondary	Neck extensors endurance	Method of assessment - physical test; the participant is in prone and position, head neutral, and supporting 2 Kg weight hanging from it. Participants were asked to support this weight for as long as possible while maintaining the neutral head positioning. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participant holds the position.	At the beginning
Secondary	Neck extensors endurance	Method of assessment - physical test; the participant is in prone and position, head neutral, and supporting 2 Kg weight hanging from it. Participants were asked to support this weight for as long as possible while maintaining the neutral head positioning. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participant holds the position.	5 weeks
Secondary	Scapular stabilizers endurance	Method of assessment - physical test; Method of assessment - physical test; Participants were standing with the shoulders and elbows flexed at 90º, while pulling both extremities of a dynamometer to reach 1 Kg of force. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participants was able to hold this position.	At the beginning
Secondary	Scapular stabilizers endurance	Method of assessment - physical test; Method of assessment - physical test; Participants were standing with the shoulders and elbows flexed at 90º, while pulling both extremities of a dynamometer to reach 1 Kg of force. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participants was able to hold this position.	5 weeks
Secondary	Pressure pain thresholds	Method of assessment - psychophysical test; Pressure was applied over the trapezius and at C5-C6 with a algometer until the participant first felt pain. The results was the quantity of force (in Kgf) supported by participants.	At the beginning
Secondary	Pressure pain thresholds	Method of assessment - psychophysical test; Pressure was applied over the trapezius and at C5-C6 with a algometer until the participant first felt pain. The results was the quantity of force (in Kgf) supported by participants.	5 weeks
Secondary	Disability	Method of assessment - the neck pain disability index	At the beginning
Secondary	Disability	Method of assessment - the neck pain disability index	5 weeks
Secondary	Disability	Method of assessment - the neck pain disability index	3 months
Secondary	catastrophizing	Method of assessment - Pain catastrophising scale	at beginning
Secondary	catastrophizing	Method of assessment - Pain catastrophising scale	5 weeks
Secondary	catastrophizing	Method of assessment - Pain catastrophising scale	3 months
Secondary	fear of movement	method of assessment - the Tampa Scale	At the beginning
Secondary	fear of movement	method of assessment - the Tampa Scale	5 weeks
Secondary	fear of movement	method of assessment - the Tampa Scale	3 months
Secondary	Knowledge of pain neurophysiology	method of assessment - scale; the neurophysiology of pain questionnaire	at beginning
Secondary	Knowledge of pain neurophysiology	method of assessment - scale; the neurophysiology of pain questionnaire	5 weeks
Secondary	Knowledge of pain neurophysiology	method of assessment - scale; the neurophysiology of pain questionnaire	3 months