Physiotherapist-Supervised Online Exercise in Remote White-Collar Workers

March 30, 2026 updated by: Begüm Ünlü, Marmara University

Effect of a Physiotherapist-Supervised Online Exercise Program on Pain and Functional Performance in Remote White-Collar Workers

This study evaluates the effects of a physiotherapist-guided online exercise program on pain and functional performance in remote white-collar workers. It is designed as a prospective single-arm study to provide preliminary evidence on the clinical effectiveness of the intervention.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The expansion of remote working has increased interest in digital health approaches that can be delivered in the home setting. Among these, physiotherapist-supervised online exercise programs may offer an individualized and accessible intervention model, as they can be delivered through technological devices and tailored to each participant's physical needs.

Remote white-collar workers are often exposed to prolonged sitting, desk-based work, and limited movement during the day. These conditions can contribute to postural impairments and adverse musculoskeletal outcomes, including pain, reduced flexibility, decreased muscle performance, and limitations in daily functioning. Common postural deviations in desk-based workers include forward head posture, rounded shoulders, increased thoracic kyphosis, and reduced lumbar curvature. Such problems may negatively affect both physical comfort and functional performance.

Telerehabilitation-based exercise interventions can improve access to physiotherapy services while allowing participants to engage in structured exercise sessions without leaving their home or work environment. In this context, the present study is designed to evaluate the effects of a physiotherapist-supervised online exercise program on pain intensity and functional performance in remote white-collar workers and to provide preliminary evidence regarding the clinical effectiveness of this intervention model. Participants will undergo a six-week online exercise program supervised by a physiotherapist, consisting of two sessions per week, with each session lasting 40-50 minutes. Pain intensity will be measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and functional performance will be evaluated using the sit-up test, lateral bridge test, and bilateral squat test.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

33

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • White-collar individuals who have been working remotely for at least 3 months
  • Aged 18 years or older
  • Having low back pain and/or neck pain related to the remote working process, or reporting a perceived postural disorder
  • Having a sedentary lifestyle

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of chronic disease
  • Presence of a neurological or psychiatric disorder
  • Visual or hearing impairment
  • Inability to cooperate with the study procedures

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Physiotherapist-Supervised Online Exercise Tranining
Online Exercise
Other: Online exercise program
The online exercise intervention in this study will consist of a structured program including a warm-up period, shoulder girdle stabilization exercises, stretching exercises for the upper and lower extremities, back extensor strengthening, lower-extremity balance and coordination training, and a cool-down period. All exercises will be delivered in an online setting under the supervision of a physiotherapist. Each exercise will be performed in two sets of 10 repetitions. The intervention will be implemented over a period of six weeks, with two sessions per week, and each session will last approximately 40 to 50 minutes. After completion of the baseline assessments, participants will begin the exercise program with a warm-up phase intended to increase cardiorespiratory activity and prepare the neuromuscular system for exercise. The warm-up will include marching in place, controlled breathing exercises, and shoulder abduction.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Pain intensity
Time Frame: Baseline and the end of the 6 weeks exercise program
Pain intensity will be assessed using a 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The VAS is a widely used self-reported measure of pain consisting of a horizontal line anchored by "no pain" at one end and "worst imaginable pain" at the other. Participants will be asked to mark the point on the line that best represents their pain intensity, and the score will be recorded in centimeters. Higher scores will indicate greater pain intensity.
Baseline and the end of the 6 weeks exercise program
Change in lower-extremity functional strength and endurance
Time Frame: Baseline and the end of the 6 weeks exercise program
Lower-extremity functional strength and endurance will be assessed using the bilateral squat test. The number of correctly performed repetitions completed in 30 seconds will be recorded.
Baseline and the end of the 6 weeks exercise program
Change in core muscle endurance
Time Frame: Baseline and the end of the 6 weeks exercise program
The lateral bridge test will assess core muscle endurance by recording the duration participants can maintain the side-bridge position. The duration for which the side-bridge position can be maintained will be recorded in seconds.
Baseline and the end of the 6 weeks exercise program
Change in abdominal and hip flexor muscle strength and endurance
Time Frame: Baseline and the end of the 6 weeks exercise program
The sit-up test will assess abdominal and hip flexor muscle strength and endurance by recording the number of correctly completed repetitions during the test period.
Baseline and the end of the 6 weeks exercise program

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Marmara University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

March 17, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

May 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

May 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 17, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 24, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 30, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 3, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 30, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 25.01.2024/26

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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