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NCT Number: NCT07576556

Mindfulness Plus Supervised Rehabilitation vs Supervised Rehabilitation Alone for Chronic Neck Pain in Office Workers

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if adding mindfulness to supervised rehabilitation exercises improves outcomes in office workers with chronic neck pain. It will also evaluate the impact of this combined approach on psychosocial factors and quality of life. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does mindfulness combined with supervised exercises reduce neck pain intensity more than supervised exercises alone? Does the combined intervention improve neck-related disability, psychosocial outcomes, and quality of life?

Researchers will compare a mindfulness-based intervention plus supervised rehabilitation exercises to supervised rehabilitation exercises alone to determine whether the combined approach provides additional benefit.

Participants will:

Be randomly assigned to receive either mindfulness plus supervised exercises or supervised exercises alone for 8 weeks Attend weekly 60-minute mindfulness sessions (experimental group only) and twice-weekly supervised exercise sessions Undergo assessments at the beginning and at the end of the intervention period

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Key information

Conditions

Chronic Neck Pain Neck Pain Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Office workers aged 18 years or older
  • diagnosed with chronic neck pain for more the three months

Exclusion criteria

  • history of neck surgery
  • history of cervical trauma
  • history of neurological disorders affecting the neck or upper extremities
  • currently receiving other treatments for neck pain, such as injections or surgical interventions
  • Participants with significant psychiatric disorders that could interfere with study participation or adherence to the intervention

Treatment and study plan

Mindfulness

Behavioral

Mindfulness training incorporates structured practices such as mindful breathing, body scanning, guided imagery, and relaxation techniques. Mindful breathing focuses on sustained, non-judgmental attention to the breath to enhance present-moment awareness and modulate pain perception. Body scanning involves systematic attention to body regions to increase awareness of physical sensations and tension. Guided imagery and relaxation techniques, including progressive muscle relaxation and meditation, aim to promote relaxation and reduce pain-related distress.

Other names: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Behavior Therapy

Supervised Exercise

Other

The program will focus on standardized stretching, strengthening, and postural exercises commonly prescribed in routine musculoskeletal rehabilitation.

Stretching exercises will target the cervical region and will include neck flexion, extension, and lateral flexion stretches, each performed in a seated upright position, held for 30 seconds, and repeated three times per direction. Strengthening exercises will emphasize cervical muscle activation and endurance and will include neck retraction exercises (chin pull-back) and isometric neck strengthening performed against manual resistance in flexion, extension, and lateral directions, with standardized hold times and repetitions. Postural exercises will focus on cervical and scapular alignment and will include chin tucks and shoulder blade squeezes, performed with controlled holds and repeated sets.

Other names: rehabilitation

Primary outcomes

  1. Neck pain using the VAS

    Time frame: at participant enrollment (baseline) and ending immediately after the 8-week intervention

    Neck pain intensity is the primary outcome, assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Participants rate their pain on a 100-mm horizontal line ranging from "no pain" (0) to "worst imaginable pain" (100), with higher scores indicating greater pain intensity.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Neck Disability Index (NDI)

    Time frame: at participant enrollment (baseline) and ending immediately after the 8-week intervention

    The NDI consists of 10 items (pain intensity, personal care, lifting, reading, headaches, concentration, work, driving, sleeping, and recreation), each scored from 0 to 5, yielding a total score between 0 and 50. Higher scores indicate greater disability. the NDI have a strong internal consistency, high test-retest reliability, and sensitivity to clinical change.

  2. Fear of movement using the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia

    Time frame: at participant enrollment (baseline) and ending immediately after the 8-week intervention

    The Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) will be employed to evaluate participants' fear of movement and re-injury. The scale consists of 17 items, each rated from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater kinesiophobia.

  3. Pain catastrophizing

    Time frame: at participant enrollment (baseline) and ending immediately after the 8-week intervention

    Catastrophic thinking will be assessed with the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). This instrument evaluates the extent to which individuals engage in catastrophic thoughts related to their pain. it consists of 13 items, each ranging from 0 (not at all) to 4 (all the time). Higher scores indicate greater levels of catastrophizing.

  4. Perceived stress

    Time frame: at participant enrollment (baseline) and ending immediately after the 8-week intervention

    The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) evaluates the perception of stress in individuals and is essential for understanding how mindfulness interventions may reduce stress levels among participants. the PSS measures perceived stress over the past month. it includes 10 items each rated from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). Higher scores indicate greater perceived stress.

  5. Anxiety and depression symptoms using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADs)

    Time frame: at participant enrollment (baseline) and ending immediately after the 8-week intervention

    The HADS is a validated instrument widely used in both hospital and general populations to evaluate psychological distress, which is particularly relevant in the context of chronic pain. It consists of 14 items divided into two subscales, anxiety and depression, with 7 items each from 0 to 3. higher subscale scores reflect more severe symptoms of anxiety or depression.

  6. Sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

    Time frame: at participant enrollment (baseline) and ending immediately after the 8-week intervention

    The PSQI is a validated self-report instrument that evaluates sleep quality and disturbances over the past month. It comprises 19 items with a score ranging from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality.

  7. Health-related quality of life using the SF-12

    Time frame: at participant enrollment (baseline) and ending immediately after the 8-week intervention

    The SF-12 evaluates overall well-being by capturing both physical and mental health dimensions. It provides two standardized summary scores: the Physical Component Score (PCS) and the Mental Component Score (MCS), each range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health status.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Amr Chaabeni, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+21626729316

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Monastir

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effect of Mindfulness Combined With Supervised Rehabilitation Versus Supervised Rehabilitation Alone in Office Workers With Chronic Neck Pain: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

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