Comparison Between Soft Tissue Mobilization and Strengthening Exercises in Management of Local Neck Syndrome

A single-blinded, parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted at the national institute of rehabilitation medicine, Pakistan, from April to July 2016, on 30 females who were recruited through non-probability convenient sampling technique and randomly allocated to the experimental and control group.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Chronic Pain; Neck Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: soft tissue mobilization; Other: neck isometric strengthening exercises

Detailed Description

The experimental group received STM and neck isometric strengthening exercises, whereas the control group received neck isometrics strengthening exercises only. Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) was used to assess the pain intensity, while Neck Disability Index (NDI) was used to assess the neck-related disability. The data was collected pre-, during, and post-intervention. Repeated measure analysis of variance (RM ANOVA) was used to analyze within the group changes, while independent t-test was used to analyze the differences between the groups. Data were analyzed by using SPSS version 21.

This study describes the comparative effectiveness of STM when used as adjunct to strengthening exercises and when strengthening exercises are used alone for the management of TNS. According to the results of this study, STM in combination with neck isometric strengthening exercises as well as exercises alone were effective for managing neck pain and functional disability when a comparison was made within the groups.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 30 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria

:• Age above 30 and below 75 years

• Patients having local neck pain included
• Female included
• With chronic neck syndrome (> month)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age below 30 and more than 75 years
• Patients having radiating pain excluded
• Male excluded.
• With acute neck syndrome (< 3 month)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental Group(Group A); Experimental Group received soft tissue mobilization with neck isometric strengthening exercises.	Other: soft tissue mobilization; In this group, each participants received 45-minutes long session that includes 25-minutes of soft tissue mobilization and 20-minutes of neck isometric strengthening exercises. In each session, patient was seated on chair and sustained pressure, direct oscillation, perpendicular mobilization, parallel mobilization, and friction massage was applied on the neck musculature for a minute followed by a release for 30 seconds. This protocol was repeated three times in each session. Each session was repeated four-times a week for two-weeks (a total eight sessions).; Other: neck isometric strengthening exercises; In this group, each participant received 20-minutes long session. Each session started in seated position and participants were asked to perform flexion, extension, side bending and rotation against resistance. During flexion movement, therapist placed hand on forehead and asked patient to move the neck forward, while in extension, therapist hand was placed at back of the head and patient had to move neck in backward direction. However, in side bending and rotation- therapist hand was placed at lateral side of the head and asked patient to side bend the neck and look at shoulder in the same direction respectively. Each session was repeated four-times a week for two-weeks (a total eight sessions).
Other: Control group (Group B); Control group received neck isometric strengthening exercises alone.	Other: neck isometric strengthening exercises; In this group, each participant received 20-minutes long session. Each session started in seated position and participants were asked to perform flexion, extension, side bending and rotation against resistance. During flexion movement, therapist placed hand on forehead and asked patient to move the neck forward, while in extension, therapist hand was placed at back of the head and patient had to move neck in backward direction. However, in side bending and rotation- therapist hand was placed at lateral side of the head and asked patient to side bend the neck and look at shoulder in the same direction respectively. Each session was repeated four-times a week for two-weeks (a total eight sessions).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Numerical pain rating scale (NPRS)	NPRS was used to assess the pain intensity. The 11-point numeric scale ranging from 0-10; 0 means no pain while 10 means worst possible pain.	upto 2 weeks
Neck disability index (NDI)	NDI was used to assess the neck-related disability. Of the 50 score, 0-4 means no disability while 35-50 means severe disability.	upto 2 weeks.
Neck range of motion	Goniometer was used to measure the range of motion of neck.	upto 2 weeks .

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Health Education Research Foundation (HERF)

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 4, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 10, 2016
• Study Completion (Actual): August 20, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 26, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 27, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): February 8, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 8, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 27, 2022
• Last Verified: January 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Assessment; Treatment outcome; Neck pain; Patient outcome assessment; Pain measurements
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Chronic Pain; Neck Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: Ref.No.Research/21

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