Manual Therapy on Head-repositioning Accuracy and Static Postural Balance in Neck Pain Patients

To Investigate the Effectiveness of Manual Therapy on Head-repositioning Accuracy and Static Postural Balance in Patients With Non-traumatic Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain.

To investigate the effect of cervical manual mobilization on head repositioning accuracy and postural balance in patients with chronic mechanical neck pain in a randomized controlled trial. Hypothesis: There is no difference between the intervention group (manual mobilization) and control group head repositioning accuracy and postural balance.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Neck Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Manual mobilization on cervical spine; Procedure: Infra-red therapy with self exercise pamphlet

Detailed Description

The aim of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of manual therapy to standing balance and head-neck proprioception sense in patients with chronic neck pain. The study will recruit 120 chronic neck pain patients and randomize the into 2 groups of 60. Group 1 will receive a course of manual therapy and infrared radiation for 15 minutes (twice weekly for 12 sessions). The other group (control) will receive infrared radiation therapy only. Manual therapy will be provided by experienced physiotherapists and assessed by a separate assessor. All outcome measures will be assessed at the beginning of study, upon completion of intervention, 3-month and 6-month after the completion of study. All measurements collected will be analysed by computerized statistical software in order to calculate the effectiveness of manual therapy and relationship among those outcome measurements.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 145
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Hong Kong
  • Stain, Hong Kong
    • Physiotherapy Department, Prince of Wales Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 18 to 65 years
• Presented with a complaint of neck pain (defined as pain in the region from the upper thoracic spine to the occiput and the surrounding musculature) for more than 7 weeks.
• Had not received neck pain treatment in the past 1 month

Exclusion Criteria:

• Onset of presenting neck pain episode after trauma (eg, whiplash)
• History of cervical injury of trauma since the onset of presenting neck pain episode
• History of cervical injury or trauma
• Neck pain due to fracture, tumor, infection, severe spondyloarthropathy, or other non-mechanical cause such as inflammatory arthritis;
• Progressive neurological deficit, myelopathy, herniated nucleus pulpous, or severe incapacitating pain;
• Being treated by electrical devices;
• Blood coagulation disorder or were using corticosteroids or anticoagulant medications;
• History of stroke or transient ischemic attacks;
• Vertebrobasilar artery insufficiency;
• Neurologic disease (eg, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, syringomyelia);
• Congenital anomalies involving the C-spine;
• Systemic disease (eg, diabetes mellitus);
• Pain involving third-party liability or Workers' Compensation.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Manual mobilization on cervical spine; Manual mobilization given on cervical spine with infra-red therapy and self exercise and advice pamphlet.	Procedure: Manual mobilization on cervical spine; Manual mobilization provided on selected cervical spine in patients with chronic mechanical neck apin
Active Comparator: Infra-red radiation therapy; Infra-red radiation therapy with self exercise pamphlet given to patients with chronic mechanical neck pain.	Procedure: Infra-red therapy with self exercise pamphlet; Infra-red radiation therapy on cervical spine with self exercise pamphlet given to patients with chronic mechanical neck pain.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Head repositioning accuracy	Head re-positioning accuracy by using laser-pointer mounted in a cyclist helmet.	up to 6 month post intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Postural balance	Standing postural sway using computerized validated equipment.	up to 6 month post intervention
Northwick Park Questionnaire	Neck disability questionnaire	up to 6 month post intervention
Active neck range of motion	Active neck range of motion using 3-dimensional goniometer.	up to 6 month post intervention
Numeric Pain Rating Scale	Subjective numeric pain rating scale from 0 - 10.	up to 6 month post intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Siu H Kit, MSc, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2010
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Actual): August 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 7, 2011
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 7, 2011
• First Posted (Estimate): March 8, 2011

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): August 28, 2013
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 26, 2013
• Last Verified: August 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Proprioception; Postural balance; Musculoskeletal manipulations
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Neck Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: HongKong PU