AI-Assisted Camera-Based Progressive Muscle Relaxation for Office Workers (AI-PMR)

Effectiveness of an AI-Assisted Camera-Based Progressive Muscle Relaxation Application in Office Workers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial evaluates the effectiveness of an AI-assisted, camera-based progressive muscle relaxation application in office workers aged 20 to 40 years. Participants are randomly allocated to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group completes a 4-week progressive muscle relaxation program using the PhysioTR Academic application, which provides camera-based real-time movement analysis and exercise guidance. The control group continues their usual daily routine and completes baseline and post-intervention assessments only. Outcomes include pain/tension intensity, musculoskeletal symptoms, perceived stress, neck disability, work productivity, functionality, and AI-based adherence metrics.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Musculoskeletal Pain; Stress, Physiological; Neck Pain; Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: AI-Assisted Camera-Based Progressive Muscle Relaxation Program

Detailed Description

This study is a single-center, randomized, controlled, open-label trial conducted in office workers aged 20 to 40 years. Participants are automatically randomized into either an intervention group or a control group.

The intervention group uses the PhysioTR Academic application for a 4-week progressive muscle relaxation program. The program includes 3 sessions per week, 12 sessions in total. Each session includes four exercise components: face and jaw, neck and shoulders, hands and arms, and back and chest. Each exercise includes a contraction and relaxation phase. The application uses the participant's device camera for real-time movement analysis and provides written and/or audio guidance.

The control group continues their usual daily routine and does not receive an exercise intervention during the study period. The control group completes only baseline and post-intervention assessments.

Assessments are performed at baseline and Week 4. Outcome measures include the Visual Analog Scale, Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, Neck Disability Index, Work Productivity Scale, numeric functionality score, and AI-based adherence and landmark coverage metrics in the intervention group.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Beykoz
    • Istanbul, Beykoz, Turkey (Türkiye), 34810
      • Istanbul Medipol University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged between 20 and 40 years
• Actively working in a desk-based or office-based job
• Having access to a camera-enabled device such as a smartphone or computer
• Voluntary participation with informed consent
• Able to read and write Turkish
• Having a valid e-mail address

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous surgery involving the neck or spine
• Cervical vertebral fracture or instability
• History of neurological disease such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease
• Vestibular system disorder
• Systemic inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis
• History of malignancy
• Pregnancy
• Having received physiotherapy for the neck or back region within the last 6 months

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: AI-Assisted Camera-Based Progressive Muscle Relaxation Group; Participants in this group complete a 4-week progressive muscle relaxation program using the PhysioTR Academic application. The program includes 3 sessions per week, 12 sessions in total. Each session includes four components: face and jaw, neck and shoulders, hands and arms, and back and chest. The application uses the participant's device camera for real-time movement analysis and records session-level Visual Analog Scale scores and AI-based adherence metrics.	Behavioral: AI-Assisted Camera-Based Progressive Muscle Relaxation Program; A camera-based progressive muscle relaxation program delivered through the PhysioTR Academic web application. The intervention includes 4 weeks of training, 3 sessions per week, for a total of 12 sessions. The application provides written and/or audio instructions and uses camera-based real-time movement analysis to support exercise performance and adherence monitoring.
No Intervention: Control Group; Participants in the control group continue their usual daily routine and do not receive an exercise intervention during the study period. They complete baseline and Week 4 assessments only.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Pain/Tension Intensity Assessed by Visual Analog Scale	Pain/tension intensity is assessed using a 0-10 Visual Analog Scale. Higher scores indicate greater pain/tension intensity. Change is calculated from baseline to Week 4.	Baseline and Week 4

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Musculoskeletal Symptoms Assessed by the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire	Musculoskeletal symptoms are assessed using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire across body regions. The outcome is summarized as the presence of symptoms by region and/or the number of symptomatic body regions. Higher values indicate more widespread musculoskeletal symptoms.	Baseline and Week 4
Change in Perceived Stress Scale Score	Perceived stress is assessed using the Turkish version of the Perceived Stress Scale. Higher scores indicate greater perceived stress.	Baseline and Week 4
Change in Neck Disability Index Score	Neck-related disability is assessed using the Neck Disability Index. Higher scores indicate greater neck-related disability.	Baseline and Week 4
Change in Work Productivity Scale Score	Work productivity is assessed using a 5-item Likert-type Work Productivity Scale. Total scores range from 5 to 25, with higher scores indicating higher work productivity.	Baseline and Week 4
Change in Numeric Functionality Score	General functionality is assessed using a numeric rating scale from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates very poor functionality and 10 indicates excellent functionality. Higher scores indicate better functionality.	Baseline and Week 4
AI-Based Exercise Adherence Score	In the intervention group, the application automatically calculates an AI-based adherence score as the percentage of predefined exercise criteria met during each session. Scores range from 0 to 100%, with higher scores indicating better adherence to the required exercise form.	During each of the 12 sessions over the 4-week intervention period
AI-Based Landmark Coverage Ratio	In the intervention group, the application calculates a landmark coverage ratio as the percentage of required body landmarks detected by the camera during each exercise. Scores range from 0 to 100%, with higher scores indicating better camera-based landmark detection.	During each of the 12 sessions over the 4-week intervention period

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Immediate Change in Session-Level Pain/Tension Intensity	In the intervention group, pain/tension intensity is recorded immediately before and after each progressive muscle relaxation session using a 0-10 Visual Analog Scale. The immediate session-level change is calculated as post-session score minus pre-session score.	Immediately before and after each session during the 4-week intervention period

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Istanbul Medipol University Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 8, 2026
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 13, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): May 13, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 30, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 30, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 7, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 20, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 17, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Perceived stress; Artificial intelligence; Progressive muscle relaxation; Work productivity; Office workers; Neck disability; Musculoskeletal symptoms; Digital physiotherapy; Camera-based motion analysis; PhysioTR Academic
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Muscular Diseases; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Musculoskeletal Pain; Neck Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: PHYSIOTR-PMR-2026-001; Ethics Approval No. 515 (Other Identifier: Istanbul Medipol University)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data will not be publicly shared due to ethical approval conditions and personal data protection requirements. De-identified aggregate data may be made available from the corresponding investigator upon reasonable request, subject to institutional and ethics approval.

Drug and device information, study documents

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