Optimal Duration of Stretching Exercise in Patients With Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain

Optimal Duration of Stretching Exercise in Patients With Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

controversy remains about the stretching parameters needed to achieve a particular goal or treatment outcome. In clinical practice, multiple stretching techniques are used; nevertheless, there is no evidence-based agreement on the most effective parameters. One of these parameters, that might be affecting the treatment outcome the most, is the stretching duration, thus far there is a little agreement on the optimal stretching duration.

This non agreement in exact stretching parameters is obvious between authors and researchers in the field of muscle energy techniques (MET) as well as those who have used and advocate various durations for the passive stretch that follows the contraction phase in MET.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Mechanical Neck Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Stretching exercises

Detailed Description

comparison and subsequent conclusions about appropriate stretching times are mainly based on mechanical factors such as range of motion and flexibility, while ignoring the neural adversative mechanical tension that may be created during stretching exercises. According to the literature , stretching induced neural tension may adversely affect the central nervous system and nerve root function due to the absence of the perineurium, which is the primary load carrying structure. Thus, safe or unsafe limits of nerve elongation are not well established, despite several basic scientific and clinical studies.. Consequently, in the present study, the current study aimed to answer the question: Is it theoretically possible, that increased longitudinal strain and stress on the spinal cord and nerve root from continuous stretching exercises may subtly impair the neural function? Our hypothesis is that a duration threshold exists where, once reached, adverse neural function will be apparent resulting in a reduction of either or both latency and amplitudes of evoked potentials.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 100
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Arab Emirates
  • Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 27272
    • University of Sharjah
  • United Arab Emirate
    • Sharjah, United Arab Emirate, United Arab Emirates, 27272
      • Ibrahim Moustafa

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 16 years to 38 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Eligible patients had to be between 18 and 40 years of age
• have generalized neck pain for more than 3 months.
• with symptoms provoked by neck postures, movements, or palpation

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects' exclusion criteria included specific neck pain due to trauma, disc protrusion, whiplash, congenital deformity of the spine, spinal stenosis, neoplasm, inflammatory or rheumatic disease. Furthermore, subjects were excluded if they had a history of spine surgery and any objective findings consistent with neurological conditions and vascular disorders.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: 60 seconds; 60 seconds stretching group Stretching exercises for upper Trapezius and Levator the examiner will passively place the participant's head into flexion, side-bending away and rotation towards the side to be stretched (for upper trapezius muscle) and flexion, side-bending away and rotation away from the side to be stretched (for levator scapula ). The patient introduces a light resisted effort to take the stabilized shoulder towards the ear and the ear towards the shoulder. The contraction is sustained for 10 seconds and, upon complete relaxation of effort, the therapist gently eases the head/ neck into an increased degree of side-bending and rotation, where it is stabilized, as the shoulder is stretched caudally. The examiner will depress the participant's shoulder with 100 Newton's of force measured with pressure dynamometer. Once the examiner achieved this level of force, he maintains the stretch for 60 seconds . The procedure is repeated three times.	Other: Stretching exercises; Post-facilitation stretch is a technique involves a maximal contraction of the muscle at mid-range with a rapid movement to maximal length followed by a static stretch.; Other Names: muscle energy technique
Experimental: 30 seconds; The same procedures while the therapist will maintain the stretch for 30 seconds.	Other: Stretching exercises; Post-facilitation stretch is a technique involves a maximal contraction of the muscle at mid-range with a rapid movement to maximal length followed by a static stretch.; Other Names: muscle energy technique
Experimental: 15 seconds; The same procedures while the therapist will maintain the stretch for 15 seconds.	Other: Stretching exercises; Post-facilitation stretch is a technique involves a maximal contraction of the muscle at mid-range with a rapid movement to maximal length followed by a static stretch.; Other Names: muscle energy technique
Placebo Comparator: control; The therapist maintains the same manual contact without stretching force	Other: Stretching exercises; Post-facilitation stretch is a technique involves a maximal contraction of the muscle at mid-range with a rapid movement to maximal length followed by a static stretch.; Other Names: muscle energy technique

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The change in peak-to-peak amplitudes of dermatomal somatosensory evoked potentials	Dermatomal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials will be elicited by repetitive, square wave (0.5 ms) electrical pulses (at 3 Hz) from standard clinical surface gel electrodes (20 mm) overlying cervical sensory dermatomes. Dermatomal somatosensory evoked potential will be collected at a stimulus intensity well above perception threshold.Complete recording runs will be undertaken during each session with averages of 250 to 1200 cortical responses from scalp surface recording electrodes (C3'-C4' in a 10-20 electrode configuration) of the contralateral scalp to the C4 to C8 dermatomes being stimulated	will be measured at two intervals ;pre-treatment and 24 Hours after treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The change in Neck Disability Index	The Neck Disability Index , consisting of 10 items related to daily living activities, will be our primary patient-reported outcome measure. Each item is scored out of five (with the no disability response given a score of 0) giving a total score for the questionnaire out of 50. Higher scores represent greater disability.	will be measured at two intervals ;pre-treatment and 24 Hours after treatment
The change in Cervical range of motion	Cervical spine global range-of-motion will be measured using the valid and reliable cervical range-of-motion (CROM) device. The participant will perform flexion, extension, right/left lateral flexion, right/left rotation in upright sitting. The patient was instructed to perform each movement when he/she attained the maximum active range of motion. Three trials were conducted for each direction of movement, and the average of the three measurements will be recorded for analysis.	will be measured at two intervals ;pre-treatment and 24 Hours after treatment
The change in Neck pain intensity	Neck pain intensity will be measured using the numerical pain rating scale . The patients will be asked to place a mark along the line indicating their current pain intensity; 0 reflecting ''no pain'' and 10 reflecting the ''worst pain''.	will be measured at two intervals ;pre-treatment and 24 Hours after treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Sharjah
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ibrahim Moustafa, University of Sharjah

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Allison, T, G McCarthy, C C Wood, and S J Jones. 1991. "Potentials Evoked in Human and Monkey Cerebral Cortex by Stimulation of the Median Nerve. A Review of Scalp and Intracranial Recordings." Brain : A Journal of Neurology, December, 2465-2503. Baker, P F, M Ladds, and K A Rubinson. 1977. "Measurement of the Flow Properties of Isolated Axoplasm in a Defined Chemical Environment [Proceedings]." The Journal of Physiology 269 (1): 10P-11P. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/70528. Bandy, William D, and Jean M Irion. 1994. "The Effect of Time on Static Stretch on the Flexibility of the Hamstring Muscles." Physical Therapy 74 (9): 845-50. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/74.9.845. Bandy, William D, Jean M Irion, and Michelle Briggler. 1997. "The Effect of Time and Frequency of Static Stretching on Flexibility of the Hamstring Muscles." Physical Therapy 77 (10): 1090-96. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/77.10.1090. Bijur, Polly E, Clarke T Latimer, and E John Gallagher. 2003. "Validation of a Verbally Administered Numerical Rating Scale of Acute Pain for Use in the Emergency Department." Academic Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine 10 (4): 390-92. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12670856. Breig, Alf. 1978. Adverse Mechanical Tension in the Central Nervous System: An Analysis of Cause and Effect: Relief by Functional Neurosurgery. Almqvist & Wiksell International. Chaitow, Leon., Helge. Franke, and Leon. Chaitow. 2013. Muscle Energy Techniques. Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier. Cox, James M. 2000. "A Review of Biomechanics of the Central Nervous System. Part I: Spinal Canal Deformations Caused by Changes in Posture (Multiple Letters)." Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0161-4754(00)90252-5. Cunha, ACV, TN Burke, FJR França, AP Marques - Clinics, and undefined 2008. n.d. "Effect of Global Posture Reeducation and of Static Stretching on Pain, Range of Motion, and Quality of Life in Women with Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Clinical." SciELO Brasil. Accessed July 21, 2020. https://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1807-59322008000600010&script=sci_arttext&tlng=pt. "Effectiveness of a Home Program of Ischemic Pressure Followed by Sustained Stretch for Treatment of Myofascial Trigger Points." 2016. Physical Therapy, November. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/80.10.997. Fejer, René, Kirsten Ohm Kyvik, and Jan Hartvigsen. 2006. "The Prevalence of Neck Pain in the World Population: A Systematic Critical Review of the Literature." European Spine Journal. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-004-0864-4. Fernández-de-las-Peñas, César, Luis Palomeque-del-Cerro, Cleofás Rodríguez-Blanco, Antonia Gómez-Conesa, and Juan C. Miangolarra-Page. 2007. "Changes in Neck Pain and Active Range of Motion After a Single Thoracic Spine Manipulation in Subjects Presenting with Mechanical Neck Pain: A Case Series." Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 30 (4): 312-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2007.03.007. Grosso MJ, Hwang R, Mroz T, Benzel E, Steinmetz M P. 2013. "Relationship between Degree of Focal Kyphosis Correction and Neurological Outcomes for Patients Undergoing Cervical Deformity Correction Surgery." J Neurosurg Spine. 18 (6): 537-44. Harrison, D D E, R Cailliet, D D E Harrison, S J Troyanovich, and S O Harrison. 1999. "A Review of Biomechanics of the Central Nervous System--Part II: Spinal Cord Strains from Postural Loads." Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 22 (5): 322-32. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10395435. Harrison, D E, R Cailliet, D D Harrison, S J Troyanovich, and S O Harrison. n.d. "A Review of Biomechanics of the Central Nervous System--Part III: Spinal Cord Stresses from Postural Loads and Their Neurologic Effects." Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 22 (6): 399-410. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10478773. Jeffery Brent Feland Joseph William Myrer, +2 authors G W Measom. 2001. "The Effect of Duration of Stretching of the Hamstring Muscle Group for Increasing Range of Motion in People Aged 65 Years or Older." Physical Therapy, May. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/81.5.1110.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 5, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 11, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): July 20, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 20, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 20, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): July 23, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 30, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 29, 2020
• Last Verified: December 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Randomized controlled trial; muscle energy technique; Stretching exercises
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Neck Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: USharjah2020

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: Yes
• IPD Plan Description: There is a plan to make individual participant data and related data dictionaries available
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: After 6 months and will become available for one year
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: not identified yet
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: Study Protocol; Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP)

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No