Exercise Intervention for Employees of the University of Bern

Neck Pain Clinical Trial

— WeMoveVirtual  

Official title:

Kurzbewegungsintervention für Mitarbeitende Der Universität Bern

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05676528
• Other study ID #: 2022-08-01
• Secondary ID: 2022-00970
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: October 1, 2022
• Est. completion date: January 31, 2023

Study information

• Verified date: March 2023
• Source: University of Bern
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

As part of a Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF project (On-site multi-component intervention to improve productivity and reduce the economic and personal burden of neck pain in Swiss Office-Workers, NEXpro = Neck EXercises for productivity, SNSF no. 32003B_182389, BASEC no. 2019-01678), the investigators first developed a physiotherapeutic exercise intervention to improve the strength and mobility of the neck muscles. In the SNSF project NEXpro, the intervention took place on-site in the office. However, in view of the digital transformation, it is important to adapt the intervention delivery method to the new virtual work setting. The aims of the present project are therefore to implement, further develop and contextually adapt the exercise intervention in order to reduce musculoskeletal complaints and to reduce health-related presenteeism. The final product is a user-friendly virtual 6-week short exercise intervention that employees of the University of Bern can use independently, regardless of time and place. The effectiveness of the newly developed short exercise intervention (pain reduction, reduction of presenteeism) will be assessed during a short pilot phase.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 24
• Est. completion date: January 31, 2023
• Est. primary completion date: January 31, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 65 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Employees of the Faculty of Human Sciences of the University of Bern who
• suffer from neck pain or would like to prevent neck pain
• are between 18 and 65 years of age
• understand German (written and oral)
• have a predominantly sedentary job
• have given written consent to participate in the study. Note: Neither gender, age, education nor group affiliation play a role. The investigators particularly welcome participation from mid-level employees. If students are willing to participate, they may also do so, but this group will not be actively recruited.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Existing severe neck pain grade IV (neck trauma, neck injury, specific pathologies (e.g. congenital cervical anomalies, stenosis, radiculopathy), inflammatory conditions (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis), history of cervical surgery)
• If physical activity is contraindicated by the doctor for any reason (e.g. due to unresolved hypertension).

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Efficiency
• Exercise Therapy
• Musculoskeletal Diseases
• Neck Pain
• Occupational Health
• Presenteeism
• Work Performance

Intervention

Other:
• Exercise intervention
The participants will carry out a physiotherapeutic exercise intervention over a period of 6 weeks. The exercise intervention is stored in a smartphone app (PhysiApp) and consists of different neck and shoulder exercises. The investigators will provide the training material to the participants and they may keep it after the end of the study. Participants can choose which and how many exercises they would like to do. However, the investigators ask participants to exercise at least three times a week for 20 minutes each time (a total of one hour per week) and to document the training afterwards in the smartphone app. In the first, third and sixth week, the investigators train together with the participants via a virtual platform (e.g. video call via Microsoft Teams) so that the correct execution of the exercise can be checked and questions can be clarified.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Switzerland	University of Bern, Faculty of Human Sciences, Institute of Psychology	Bern

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Bern

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Switzerland, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	Level of physical activity	Change of the level of physical activity from baseline. Questionnaire, single item (yes / no).	Over the period of 6 weeks
Other	Sleep quality	Change in sleep quality from baseline. Numeric Rating scale. Min = 1, Max = 5. Higher score means worse.	Over the period of 6 weeks
Other	Work breaks	Change in work breaks from baseline. Questionnaire, single item (number of work breaks)	Over the period of 6 weeks
Other	General health status	Change in general health status from baseline. Numeric Rating Scale. Min = 0, Max = 10. Higher score means better.	Over the period of 6 weeks
Other	Mental health status	Change in mental health status from baseline. Numeric Rating Scale. Min = 0, Max = 10. Higher score means better.	Over the period of 6 weeks
Other	Flexibility	Change in self-rated flexibility of the muscles from baseline. Numeric Rating Scale. Min = 0, Max = 10. Higher score means better.	Over the period of 6 weeks
Other	Adherence to exercise 1	Number of exercise from baseline. Via PhysiApp. Higher score means higher number of exercise.	Over the period of 6 weeks
Other	Adherence to exercise 2	Type of exercise from baseline. Via PhysiApp. Strengthening vs. non-strengthening.	Over the period of 6 weeks
Primary	Work performance	Change in work performance from baseline. Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (i.e., work productivity loss). Min = 0, Max = 100. Higher score means worse (higher work productivity loss).	6 weeks
Secondary	Intensity of neck pain	Change in neck pain from baseline. Numeric Rating Scale. Min = 0, Max = 10. Higher score means worse.	Over the period of 6 weeks
Secondary	Intensity of back pain	Change in back pain from baseline. Numeric Rating Scale. Min = 0, Max = 10. Higher score means worse.	Over the period of 6 weeks