Exercise as Treatment of Neck Pain Among Helicopter Pilots and Crew Members

Neck Pain Clinical Trial

Official title:

Physical Exercise Against Neck and Shoulder Pain in Danish Military Helicopter Pilots and Crewmembers - A Clinical Randomized, Controlled Trail

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01926262
• Other study ID #: S-20120121
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• First received: August 16, 2013
• Last updated: December 1, 2015
• Start date: November 2013
• Est. completion date: April 2014

Study information

• Verified date: December 2015
• Source: University of Southern Denmark
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Denmark: Ethics Committee
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The aim of this project is to investigate, whether physical training, targeted neck and shoulder muscles, can reduce and prevent neck pain among military helicopter pilots and crewmembers.

Description:

Military helicopter pilots and crewmembers is often burdened by work-related neck and shoulder pain. Neck pain is a health challenge, that can reduce functional level, concentration and operational safety. Physical exercise has shown good efficacy in reducing neck/shoulder pain in other occupational groups in previous studies.

The Royal Danish Air Force and the University of Southern Denmark, wishes to examine whether specific physical exercise can prevent and reduce neck/shoulder pain within this occupational group.

Participants in this project will be randomly selected to either a physical exercise group or a reference group.

• The physical exercise group will follow a training program targeted neck and shoulder muscles and train 1 hour per week (3 x 20 min) for 26 weeks.

• The reference group will continue normal routines, including workout routines. They will later be offered the same training program as the Physical Exercise group provided that training has a positive effect.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 69
• Est. completion date: April 2014
• Est. primary completion date: April 2014
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Employed within the Royal Danish Air Force

• Helicopter pilot

• Crewmember (Flight engineer, Rescue swimmer or Mission System Operator)

• Flown within the past 6 months

Exclusion Criteria:

• Grounded at time of inclusion

• Participated in a training intervention within the past 12 months

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Basic Science

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Neck Pain
• Shoulder Pain

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Specific Strength Training
Specific Strength Training for the Neck and Shoulder Muscles

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Denmark	Hilicopter Wing Karup	Karup

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Southern Denmark	The Royal Danish Air Force

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Denmark, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Neck and shoulder pain	Neck pain will be assessed as self-rated pain on a 10 point scale by questionnaire at baseline and follow-up after 6 months	6 months	No
Secondary	Pressure-Pain-Threshold	Pressure-Pain-Threshold will be assessed at baseline and follow-up after 6 months	6 months	No
Secondary	Muscle strength and steadiness	Muscle strength and steadiness will be quantified by force transducers at baseline and follow-up after 6 months	6 months	No
Secondary	Postural stability	Postural stability will be assessed at baseline and follow-up after 6 months	6 months	No

External Links

•   University of Southern Denmark