Effectiveness of Bowen Technique vs Muscle Energy Technique in Neck Pain.

Effectiveness of Bowen Technique vs Muscle Energy Technique in Mechanical Neck Pain Among Desktop Users.

Mechanical neck pain, also known as non-specific neck pain, is a prevalent ailment that results from problems with spine and surrounding tissue function. Trauma, degenerative changes, strained muscles, and bad posture are among the causes. The range of symptoms includes headaches, stiffness, and mild to severe pain. The goal of treatment is to strengthen the muscles and improve posture. The diagnosis is clinical. The Bowen Technique is a type of gentle bodywork therapy that promotes relaxation and overall rebalancing by using specific movements to activate the autonomic nerve system. It is sought for the improvement of general well-being, pain alleviation, and stress reduction. Patients undergoing manual treatment will be asked to actively contract their muscles against regulated resistance using the Muscle Energy Technique (MET). It addresses problems including joint limitations and attempts to return muscles and joints to their normal functions.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Neck Pain; Musculoskeletal Manipulation
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Bowen Therapy along with conventional therapy; Other: Muscle Energy Technique with Conventional Therapy

Detailed Description

The research, will last for ten months at the Limit Institute of Health Sciences in Sahiwal, is a randomized controlled trial. With 10 participants in each group using a non-probability convenient sampling procedure, the sample size includes 10% attrition. Computer users between the ages of 18 and 35 who work five to seven hours a day meet the inclusion criteria, but recent musculoskeletal injuries and a history of head or spine trauma are the exclusion criteria. One instrument used to collect data is the Neck Disability Index (NDI). There are two established study groups: Group B will receive Muscle Energy Technique (MET) and traditional physiotherapy, while Group A will receive Bowen therapy and conventional physiotherapy. Blinding will be used, and the study will adhere to a recruitment, enrollment, and randomization procedure. SPSS version 23 will be used to analyze the data, and descriptive statistics, change over temporal analysis as well as tests of group comparison. The purpose of the study is to evaluate how the interventions affect people who use computers for extended periods in terms of their functional results and mechanical neck discomfort.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 36
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Punjab
    • Sahiwal, Punjab, Pakistan, 57000
      • Maryam Polyclinic Sahiwal

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Computer users who work 5-7 hours daily.
• Age between 18 to 35 will be included.
• Both genders

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any recent musculoskeletal injury of upper limb or spine.
• History of any trauma of spine or head

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: Bowen Therapy along with Conventional Therapy; Group A will receive Bowen Therapy along with Conventional Therapy	Other: Bowen Therapy along with conventional therapy; Bowen Technique Group Assignment: Participants will be assigned to undergo targeted Bowen Technique therapy sessions. Session Details: The therapy sessions will include: Gentle, rolling-type maneuvers; Specific placements of fingers and thumbs; Focus on muscles, tendons, and ligaments associated with neck pain Therapeutic Pauses: There will be intentional pauses between sets of moves to allow the body time to respond to the therapeutic stimulation. Conventional Therapy: Hot pack, TENS, Passive Stretching 2 times a week for 4 weeks
Active Comparator: Muscle Energy Technique along with conventional Therapy; Group B will receive Muscle Energy Technique along with Conventional Therapy	Other: Muscle Energy Technique with Conventional Therapy; MET Session Structure: Participants will engage in Muscle Energy Technique (MET) sessions that focus on: Isometric muscle contractions, where muscles are contracted without changing length.; Therapist-guided, controlled contractions against specific resistance.; Relaxation Periods: Each contraction session will be followed by a period of relaxation to allow muscles to recover and respond to the therapy. conventional therapy: Hot pack, TENS, Passive Stretching 2times a week for 4 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain level	The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) is a straightforward tool used to measure pain intensity in adults, including those suffering from chronic pain associated with rheumatic conditions. It features an 11-point scale, where '0' indicates no pain and '10' signifies the most extreme pain possible, described as "pain as bad as you can imagine" or "the worst pain imaginable."	4th week
Functional Disability	A self-reported questionnaire called the Neck Disability Index (NDI) is used to gauge how neck pain affects a person's ability to function and go about their everyday life. It is divided into eleven sections that address different tasks such as sleeping, work, reading, lifting, and personal care. In each category, respondents rate the level of difficulty they encounter; scores are added together to produce a percentage that indicates the degree of disability. When conducting clinical assessments, the NDI is a useful instrument that helps medical practitioners determine the degree of functional limits and provide personalized interventions for patients with neck discomfort.	4th week

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Riphah International University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Hafiza Wajeeha Saeed, DPT, Riphah International University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Masaracchio M, Kirker K, States R, Hanney WJ, Liu X, Kolber M. Thoracic spine manipulation for the management of mechanical neck pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2019 Feb 13;14(2):e0211877. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211877. eCollection 2019.
• Peng B, Yang L, Li Y, Liu T, Liu Y. Cervical Proprioception Impairment in Neck Pain-Pathophysiology, Clinical Evaluation, and Management: A Narrative Review. Pain Ther. 2021 Jun;10(1):143-164. doi: 10.1007/s40122-020-00230-z. Epub 2021 Jan 12.
• Verhagen AP. Physiotherapy management of neck pain. J Physiother. 2021 Jan;67(1):5-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jphys.2020.12.005. Epub 2020 Dec 24. No abstract available.
• Joshi S, Balthillaya G, Neelapala YVR. Thoracic Posture and Mobility in Mechanical Neck Pain Population: A Review of the Literature. Asian Spine J. 2019 Jun 3;13(5):849-860. doi: 10.31616/asj.2018.0302. Print 2019 Oct.
• Al-Khazali HM, Kroll LS, Ashina H, Melo-Carrillo A, Burstein R, Amin FM, Ashina S. Neck pain and headache: Pathophysiology, treatments and future directions. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2023 Aug;66:102804. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2023.102804. Epub 2023 Jun 16.
• Bonilla-Barba L, Florencio LL, Rodriguez-Jimenez J, Falla D, Fernandez-de-Las-Penas C, Ortega-Santiago R. Women with mechanical neck pain exhibit increased activation of their superficial neck extensors when performing the cranio-cervical flexion test. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2020 Oct;49:102222. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2020.102222. Epub 2020 Jul 11.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 15, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 15, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 11, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 11, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): June 14, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 4, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 3, 2025
• Last Verified: July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Muscle Energy Technique; Bowen Therapy; Mechanical Neck Pain
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Neck Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: REC/RCR&AHS/23/01106

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