Innovative Rehabilitation: Integrating VR-Based Sensorimotor Training Into Comprehensive Neck Rehabilitation

Virtual Reality Neck-based Sensorimotor Training Versus Sensorimotor Training in Mechanical Non-specific Neck Pain

The research aims to treat chronic non-specific neck pain using virtual reality (VR) technologies with sensory-motor training. Chronic neck pain is widespread and highly prevalent in Egyptian society due to many factors, such as sitting for long periods in front of a computer or smartphone, which leads to a decline in productivity at work and a constant feeling of fatigue. This problem is considered one of the widespread health problems that affect individuals of all ages and greatly affect their daily lives.

This project was chosen based on the growing awareness of the need to search for innovative solutions to this health problem that hinders productivity and affects the general comfort of individuals.

The reserch aims to integrate sensory-motor therapy with virtual reality, which helps patients improve movement and flexibility and reduce pain. It does this by simulating exciting interactive environments that engage their attention and help them relieve pain away from traditional treatment methods.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Chronic Non Specific Neck Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Virtual Reality (VR); Other: laser-guided Sensorimotor Training

Detailed Description

Virtual reality, a novel form of technology, is gaining attention in the medical field for its potential to aid inpatient rehabilitation. This experience will immerse the patient in an interactive and engaging journey. Virtual reality feedback can assist patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain by offering them various sensory and motor tasks to enhance their postural control.

Moreover, virtual reality offers a distracting experience that aids in reducing patients' pain and emotional distress. Using a specialized device on their head (Head-mounted device) (HMD) or screen, patients can participate in computer-based exercises as part of virtual reality physical therapy.

Combining virtual reality with comprehensive sensorimotor training can be beneficial in treating chronic neck pain.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Egypt
  • Cairo, Egypt
    • Cairo University
  • Cairo, Egypt
    • Physical Therapy

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Fourty patients diagnosed with mechanical neck pain between 18- and 40 years old with mechanical neck pain.
2. Patients with pain intensity scores (>3) on the visual analog scale (VAS; 0-100mm) for an average of three weeks before the study.
3. Neck Disability Index (NDI) scoring 20%-60% (>6) (moderate to severe disability).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Any history of lower extremity or spine trauma or surgery, recognized and observable spinal deformity, neurological disorders, cervical fracture/dislocation, whiplash injuries, neurological/cardiovascular/respiratory disorders affecting patients' physical performance, or inability to provide informed consent.
2. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), as confirmed by the Dix Hallpike test.
3. Pregnancy.
4. Patients who had received physical therapy interventions for neck pain within three months preceding the study were also ineligible for participation and were excluded.

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: Virtual Reality; The virtual reality group will engage in targeted cervical sensorimotor training through VR Oculus Quest 3 Pro (OQ3 Pro)	Device: Virtual Reality (VR); Oculus Quest 3 Pro (OQ3 Pro) advanced 256 GB all-in-one virtual reality headset, Wi-Fi will be used.; Other Names: Oculus Quest 3 Pro (OQ3 Pro)
Active Comparator: laser-guided Sensorimotor Training; An exercise program consisting of Cervical JPSM, Cervical movement sense	Other: laser-guided Sensorimotor Training; An exercise program consisting of Cervical JPSM and Cervical movement sense

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Cervical proprioception and neck reposition sense	Cervical joint position error (JPE) Test is a measurement tool used to clinically assess an individual's cervicocephalic proprioception ability.	Before Treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Measurement of pain intensity (VAS)	Asking the patient to put a horizontal mark on a continuous 10 cm line that represents his/her pain intensity, ranging from zero, which indicates no pain, or 29 discomfort to 10, which indicates the worst possible pain he could feel.	Before Treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment
Measurement of disability due to neck pain (NDI)	The patient will complete a condition-specific functional status questionnaire with 10 items. The NDI consists of 10 domains-pain intensity, personal care, lifting, reading, headache, concentration, work, driving, sleep, and recreation-designed to assess the level of disability in patients with neck pain. Patients self-report their level of function/disability in each domain, after which a composite score is calculated.	Before Treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment
Eye Movement Control (Gaze Stability)	The Dynamic Visual Acuity (DVA) test is used for assessing gaze stability.	Before Treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment
Cervical range of motion (ROM)	Cervical ROM results were calculated by averaging the three best values from each direction	Before Treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: MTI University
• Collaborators: Cairo University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Hadeer Maghraby, MSc, Assistant Lecturer

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): May 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 16, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 24, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): December 27, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 19, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 15, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Virtual Reality (VR); Sensorimotor Training; Non specific Neck Pain (NSNP); Neck-based Training Sensorimotor Training
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Neck Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: P.T.REC/012/005274

Drug and device information, study documents

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