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NCT Number: NCT07324811

Effectiveness of a Home-based Cervical Motor Control Exercise Programme Versus Conventional Manual Therapy in Patients With Post-whiplash Neck Pain.

Whiplash-associated disorders are a common cause of persistent neck pain following traffic accidents and are frequently associated with impairments in cervical motor control, pain, and functional disability. Therapeutic exercise aimed at restoring cervical motor control has shown promising results; however, evidence regarding the effectiveness of structured home-based exercise programs compared with conventional physiotherapy remains limited. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a home-based cervical motor control exercise program versus conventional physiotherapy in patients with whiplash-associated neck pain.

A randomized controlled trial with two parallel groups was conducted. Patients diagnosed with whiplash-associated neck pain were randomly assigned to either an experimental group performing a structured home-based cervical motor control exercise program or a control group receiving conventional physiotherapy based on manual therapy and cervical mobilization techniques. Outcome measures included pain intensity assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale, functional disability measured with the Neck Disability Index, and active cervical range of motion. Assessments were performed at baseline and after an eight-week intervention period.

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Key information

Conditions

Cervical Disease Behavior Female Urogenital Diseases Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications Genital Diseases Genital Diseases, Female Motor Activity Neck Injuries Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Urogenital Diseases Uterine Cervical Diseases Uterine Diseases Whiplash Injuries Wounds and Injuries

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca

Salamanca, 37002, Spain

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients who met the following criteria were included:
  • Age between 18 and 65 years.
  • Clinical diagnosis of post-whiplash neck pain resulting from a traffic accident.
  • Symptoms lasting longer than four weeks.
  • Presence of neck pain with a minimum intensity of 3 points on the Visual Analogue Scale.
  • Ability to understand and follow the instructions of the home exercise programme.
  • Signed informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients with the following conditions were excluded:
  • Signs of severe neurological compromise or significant structural cervical pathology (fractures, cervical instability, myelopathy).
  • History of cervical surgery.
  • Rheumatic, neurological, or systemic diseases that could influence the results.
  • Previous physiotherapy treatment for the same episode in the three months prior to the study.
  • Pregnancy or any medical contraindication for therapeutic exercise.

Treatment and study plan

home-based cervical motor control exercise programme

Procedure

home-based programme of active cervical motor control exercises supervised by physiotherapists

conventional physiotherapy treatment

Procedure

Conventional physiotherapy treatment with passive therapy (manual therapy) carried out in a physiotherapy clinic.

Primary outcomes

  1. pain

    Time frame: 2 months

    measured using the visual analogue pain scale (VAS) (where 0 is the least possible pain and 10 is the maximum possible pain)

Secondary outcomes

  1. range of motion

    Time frame: 2 months

    The range of active cervical movement was assessed using goniometry, recording the movements of flexion, extension, rotation, and lateralisation of the cervical spine.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effectiveness of a Home-based Cervical Motor Control Exercise Programme Versus Conventional Manual Therapy in Patients With Post-whiplash Neck Pain: a Randomised Clinical Trial.

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Jan 8, 2026
Registry last updated
Jan 8, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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