Comparison of Somatosensory Versus Endurance-strength Exercise in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain

May 8, 2023 updated by: Alexander Achalandabaso

Comparison of Somatosensory Exercise Versus Endurance-strength Exercise in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain: a Randomized Clinical Trial

Aim: To compare the effects of somatosensory exercise vs endurance-strength exercise on the deep cervical flexor muscles on pain and perceived disability in patients with chronic neck pain.

Study design: Protocol of a clinical trial, controlled, parallel and a blinded assessor.

Population: Subjects aged 18 to 65 years with neck pain of 3 or more months of evolution.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The study will be carried out at the Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy of the University of Alcalá. A total of 60 subjects with nonspecific chronic neck pain will be selected and randomly assigned into two intervention groups. The first group will perform a somatosensory exercise program and a second group will perform activation and endurance-strength exercises of the deep cervical flexors. The duration of the intervention will be 8 weeks, with 6 sessions of physical therapy and daily home exercise. The variables pain, pressure pain threshold, disability, endurance-strength, proprioception, quality of life, kinesiophobia, quality of sleep and depression will be analyzed. Measurements will be taken pre-treatment, post-treatment and a follow-up at 3 months.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Spain
    • Madrid
      • Alcalá De Henares, Madrid, Spain, 28801
        • University of Alcala

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Subjects of age between 18 and 65 years
  • Neck pain of 3 or more months of evolution

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Cervical Disability Index less than 15/50
  • Infection
  • Oncological processes
  • Neck or arm surgery
  • Neck or arm trauma
  • Positive neurological signs
  • Rheumatic diseases

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Somatosensory training
It consists of head relocation exercises, eye tracking, gaze stability and eye-head coordination. It requires the use of special material, the pupillary glasses allow the gaze to be fixed by restricting peripheral vision and the laser pointer provides visual feedback on the positioning of the head.
Other: Therapeutic exercises
A somatosensory training and an endurance-strength training protocol
Experimental: Endurance-strength training
It consists of low-load training of the craniocervical flexor muscles. This exercise is specific for the deep cervical flexor muscles, while seeking minimal activation of the superficial flexor muscles. This training consists of 5 phases, starting with a pressure of 20 mmHg, progressively increasing 2 mmHg in each phase.
Other: Therapeutic exercises
A somatosensory training and an endurance-strength training protocol

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain change
Time Frame: Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
To assess pain, the Visual Analogue Scale will be used, which consists of a 10-centimeter horizontal line, at whose ends is the maximum expression of a symptom.
Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
Disability change
Time Frame: Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
Disability will be assessed using the validated Spanish version of the Cervical Disability Index. Its range score is 0-50, higher values mean greater disability.
Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pressure Pain Threshold change
Time Frame: Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
To assess the Pressure Pain Threshold, a analog pressure algometer will be used. The pressure will be performed bilaterally on the levator scapulae, upper trapezius, splenius capitis and sternocleidomastoid.
Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
Endurance of craniocervical flexion change
Time Frame: Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
The isometric endurance of the deep flexor muscles of the neck will be measured with the Craniocervical Flexion Test, using a pressure biofeedback.
Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
Proprioception change
Time Frame: Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
The proprioception of the head and neck in space will be evaluated using the Cervical Joint Positioning Error Test.
Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
Kinesiophobia change
Time Frame: Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
The patients' level of fear of movement will be evaluated using the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia. Range score is 11-44, higher values mean greater fear of injury.
Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
Sleep quality change
Time Frame: Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
To assess sleep quality we will use the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, using the Spanish version. Range score is 0-21, higher values mean worse outcome.
Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
Quality of life change
Time Frame: Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
Quality of life will be assessed with the 12-Item Short Form Survey, second version (SF-12v2), using its Spanish version. This questionnaire is made up of 12 items which measure both physical and mental items. Range score is PCS 24-56,6 and MCS 19-60,8, higher values mean higher quality of life.
Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
Depression change
Time Frame: Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.
To assess depression, the Beck Depression Inventory in its second edition (BDI-II), in its Spanish version, will be used. Range score is 0-63, higher values mean worse outcome.
Pre-intervention, post-intervention (2 months) and follow-up of 3 months after the end.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Alexander Achalandabaso

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 19, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 14, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 8, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 23, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 1, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 11, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 9, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 8, 2023

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • CEIM/2022/1/001

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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