Effects of the Timing of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Combined With Exercise in Chronic Neck Pain
Does Timing Matter? Effects of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Before and After Exercise in Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate whether the timing of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) relative to exercise influences clinical and autonomic outcomes in individuals with chronic neck pain.
Participants will be randomly allocated to one of three groups: taVNS applied before exercise, taVNS applied after exercise, or exercise alone. All groups will receive a standardized exercise program designed for chronic neck pain. The intervention will be conducted over a 6- to 8-week period.
The effects of the interventions will be evaluated using pain intensity, neck-related disability, sleep quality, heart rate variability, and exercise adherence. The study will determine whether applying taVNS before or after exercise provides additional benefits compared with exercise alone and whether the timing of stimulation influences treatment outcomes.
Studieöversikt
Status
Betingelser
Intervention / Behandling
Detaljerad beskrivning
Chronic neck pain is a common musculoskeletal condition associated with pain, functional limitations, sleep disturbances, and alterations in autonomic nervous system activity. Exercise therapy is one of the main conservative treatment approaches for chronic neck pain. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation method that aims to stimulate the auricular branch of the vagus nerve and may influence parasympathetic activity and pain modulation.
The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to investigate whether the timing of taVNS relative to exercise influences clinical and physiological outcomes in individuals with chronic neck pain.
A total of 81 participants with chronic neck pain will be randomly allocated to three parallel groups. Participants in the first group will receive taVNS before performing a standardized exercise program. Participants in the second group will perform the same exercise program followed by taVNS. Participants in the control group will receive the exercise program alone.
The exercise program will include postural correction exercises, deep cervical flexor activation exercises, cervical mobility exercises, scapular stabilization exercises, and stretching exercises. The intervention period will last approximately 6-8 weeks.
Participants will be evaluated before and after the intervention period. Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, neck-related disability using the Neck Disability Index, sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and autonomic nervous system activity using heart rate variability, particularly the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD). Exercise adherence and session attendance will also be recorded.
The study will compare changes in these outcomes among the three groups to determine whether the timing of taVNS relative to exercise influences the effectiveness of rehabilitation in individuals with chronic neck pain.
Studietyp
Inskrivning (Beräknad)
Fas
- Inte tillämpbar
Kontakter och platser
Studiekontakt
- Namn: Batuhan YUKSEL, Msc.
- Telefonnummer: 00905334350996
- E-post: bthanyksel13@gmail.com
Studieorter
-
-
Türkiye
-
Kütahya, Türkiye, Turkiet (Türkiye), 43100
- Kutahya Health Sciences University Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Research Center
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Underutredare:
- Merve Akdeniz LEBLEBİCİER, MD
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Kontakt:
- Ismail SARACOGLU, PhD
- Telefonnummer: 1499 002742651300
- E-post: ismail.saracoglu@ksbu.edu.tr
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Huvudutredare:
- Batuhan YUKSEL, Msc.
-
-
Deltagandekriterier
Urvalskriterier
Åldrar som är berättigade till studier
- Vuxen
- Äldre vuxen
Tar emot friska volontärer
Beskrivning
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosis of chronic neck pain confirmed by a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician.
- Age between 18 and 65 years.
- Neck pain persisting or recurring for at least 3 months.
- Ability to participate in the exercise program included in the study protocol.
- No contraindication to transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation.
- Willingness to provide written informed consent.
- Willingness to participate regularly in the planned exercise and assessment sessions.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Cervical radiculopathy or specific neurological findings.
- Previous cervical spine surgery.
- Serious cardiovascular disease.
- Serious neurological or systemic disease.
- Pregnancy.
- Orthopedic or musculoskeletal conditions preventing participation in exercise.
- Cognitive or communication problems that prevent completion of the assessment instruments.
- Inability or unwillingness to comply with the study protocol or attend scheduled sessions.
Studieplan
Hur är studien utformad?
Designdetaljer
- Primärt syfte: Behandling
- Tilldelning: Randomiserad
- Interventionsmodell: Parallellt uppdrag
- Maskning: Dubbel
Vapen och interventioner
Deltagargrupp / Arm |
Intervention / Behandling |
|---|---|
|
Experimentell: taVNS Before Exercise
Participants will receive transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation before performing the standardized exercise program.
|
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation will be delivered non-invasively through an auricular stimulation device targeting the auricular branch of the vagus nerve.
Stimulation will be administered under researcher supervision using standardized stimulation parameters according to the device instructions and study protocol.
Participants will perform a standardized exercise program for chronic neck pain including postural correction, deep cervical flexor activation, cervical mobility, scapular stabilization, and stretching exercises.
Exercises will be performed under researcher supervision during the intervention period.
|
|
Experimentell: taVNS After Exercise
Participants will first perform the standardized exercise program and will subsequently receive transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation.
|
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation will be delivered non-invasively through an auricular stimulation device targeting the auricular branch of the vagus nerve.
Stimulation will be administered under researcher supervision using standardized stimulation parameters according to the device instructions and study protocol.
Participants will perform a standardized exercise program for chronic neck pain including postural correction, deep cervical flexor activation, cervical mobility, scapular stabilization, and stretching exercises.
Exercises will be performed under researcher supervision during the intervention period.
|
|
Aktiv komparator: Exercise only
Participants will receive the standardized exercise program without transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation.
|
Participants will perform a standardized exercise program for chronic neck pain including postural correction, deep cervical flexor activation, cervical mobility, scapular stabilization, and stretching exercises.
Exercises will be performed under researcher supervision during the intervention period.
|
Vad mäter studien?
Primära resultatmått
Resultatmått |
Åtgärdsbeskrivning |
Tidsram |
|---|---|---|
|
Change in Pain Intensity - Numeric Pain Rating Scale
Tidsram: Baseline and immediately after completion of the 6 week interventions
|
Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS).
Participants will rate their neck pain on an 11-point scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates "no pain" and 10 indicates "worst imaginable pain."
Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity.
Change from baseline will be compared between groups.
|
Baseline and immediately after completion of the 6 week interventions
|
|
Change in Neck-Related Disability - Neck Disability Index
Tidsram: Baseline and immediately after completion of the 6 weeks interventions.
|
Neck-related disability will be assessed using the Neck Disability Index (NDI).
The questionnaire consists of 10 sections scored from 0 to 5, producing a total score ranging from 0 to 50.
Higher scores indicate greater neck-related disability.
|
Baseline and immediately after completion of the 6 weeks interventions.
|
|
Change in Sleep Quality - Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
Tidsram: Baseline and immediately after completion of the 6 weeks intervention.
|
Sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).
The PSQI evaluates seven components of sleep and provides a global score ranging from 0 to 21.
Higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality.
|
Baseline and immediately after completion of the 6 weeks intervention.
|
Sekundära resultatmått
Resultatmått |
Åtgärdsbeskrivning |
Tidsram |
|---|---|---|
|
Exercise Adherence
Tidsram: Throughout the 6-8-week intervention period.
|
Exercise adherence will be assessed based on participant attendance at scheduled treatment sessions.
Adherence will be expressed as the number and/or percentage of completed sessions relative to the total number of planned sessions.
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Throughout the 6-8-week intervention period.
|
|
Change in Heart Rate Variability - RMSSD
Tidsram: Baseline and immediately after completion of the 6 weeks intervention.
|
Autonomic nervous system activity will be assessed using heart rate variability.
The root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats (RMSSD), expressed in milliseconds, will be used as the primary heart rate variability parameter.
Higher RMSSD values generally represent greater parasympathetic/vagal activity.
|
Baseline and immediately after completion of the 6 weeks intervention.
|
Samarbetspartners och utredare
Studieavstämningsdatum
Studera stora datum
Studiestart (Beräknad)
Primärt slutförande (Beräknad)
Avslutad studie (Beräknad)
Studieregistreringsdatum
Först inskickad
Först inskickad som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna
Första postat (Faktisk)
Uppdateringar av studier
Senaste uppdatering publicerad (Faktisk)
Senaste inskickade uppdateringen som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna
Senast verifierad
Mer information
Termer relaterade till denna studie
Nyckelord
Ytterligare relevanta MeSH-villkor
- Smärta
- Neurologiska manifestationer
- Patologiska tillstånd, tecken och symtom
- Beteende
- Tecken och symtom
- Kronisk smärta
- Motorisk aktivitet
- Motorisk aktivitet
- Rörelse
- Muskuloskeletala fysiologiska fenomen
- Muskuloskeletala och neurala fysiologiska fenomen
- Terapeutik
- Fysioterapimetoder
- Patientvård
- Träningsterapi
- Rehabilitering
- Eftervård
- Kontinuitet i patientvård
- Fysisk konditionering, mänsklig
- Utöva
- Motståndsträning
Andra studie-ID-nummer
- BatuPHD
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