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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03362333

Pain Neuroscience Education and Exercise

This study examined the effects of pain neuroscience education plus exercise when compared with exercise only in university students with chronic idiopathic neck pain.

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Key information

Conditions

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

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

About this study

This study examined the effects of pain neuroscience education plus exercise when compared with exercise only in university students with chronic idiopathic neck pain.

University students with chronic neck pain were randomly allocated to receive pain neuroscience education and exercise or exercise only and assessed at baseline, after the intervention and at 3 months follow up. Outcome variables were pain intensity (primary outcome), disability, fear of movement, catastrophizing, knowledge of pain neurophysiology, pressure pain thresholds and neck and scapular muscle endurance.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Participants could enter the study if they had chronic idiopathic neck pain, defined as pain felt in the neck at least once a week in the previous 3 months and for which no cause had been established. Furthermore, they were required to have a minimum pain intensity in the previous week of 2 in the visual analogue scale.

Exclusion criteria

  • Participants were excluded if they had had physiotherapy for their neck pain in the 6 months previous to the study, if they had rheumatic, nervous, cardiac and/or respiratory pathology that could prevent or make it difficult to do the exercises. Exclusion criteria were ascertained by self-report.

Treatment and study plan

Exercise

Other

Exercises were aimed at increasing the endurance and strength of the deep neck flexor and extensor muscles and of the scapular stabilizer muscles.

Pain neuroscience education

Other

Pain neuroscience education covered the neurophysiology of pain, transition from acute to chronic pain and the nervous system ability to modulate the pain experience.

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain intensity

    Time frame: At the beginning

    Measured using the visual analogue scale

  2. Pain intensity

    Time frame: 5 weeks

    Measured using the visual analogue scale

  3. Pain intensity

    Time frame: At 3 months

    Measured using the visual analogue scale

Secondary outcomes

  1. Deep neck flexor endurance

    Time frame: At the beginning

    Method of assessment - physical test; the participant is in supine and he/she is asked to flex the upper cervical spine, move their head away from the couch approximately 2.5 cm and then maintain this position for as long as possible. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participant holds the position.

  2. Deep neck flexor endurance

    Time frame: 5 weeks

    Method of assessment - physical test; the participant is in supine and he/she is asked to flex the upper cervical spine, move their head away from the couch approximately 2.5 cm and then maintain this position for as long as possible. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participant holds the position.

  3. Neck extensors endurance

    Time frame: At the beginning

    Method of assessment - physical test; the participant is in prone and position, head neutral, and supporting 2 Kg weight hanging from it. Participants were asked to support this weight for as long as possible while maintaining the neutral head positioning. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participant holds the position.

  4. Neck extensors endurance

    Time frame: 5 weeks

    Method of assessment - physical test; the participant is in prone and position, head neutral, and supporting 2 Kg weight hanging from it. Participants were asked to support this weight for as long as possible while maintaining the neutral head positioning. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participant holds the position.

  5. Scapular stabilizers endurance

    Time frame: At the beginning

    Method of assessment - physical test; Method of assessment - physical test; Participants were standing with the shoulders and elbows flexed at 90º, while pulling both extremities of a dynamometer to reach 1 Kg of force. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participants was able to hold this position.

  6. Scapular stabilizers endurance

    Time frame: 5 weeks

    Method of assessment - physical test; Method of assessment - physical test; Participants were standing with the shoulders and elbows flexed at 90º, while pulling both extremities of a dynamometer to reach 1 Kg of force. The test result is the time (in seconds) that each participants was able to hold this position.

  7. Pressure pain thresholds

    Time frame: At the beginning

    Method of assessment - psychophysical test; Pressure was applied over the trapezius and at C5-C6 with a algometer until the participant first felt pain. The results was the quantity of force (in Kgf) supported by participants.

  8. Pressure pain thresholds

    Time frame: 5 weeks

    Method of assessment - psychophysical test; Pressure was applied over the trapezius and at C5-C6 with a algometer until the participant first felt pain. The results was the quantity of force (in Kgf) supported by participants.

  9. Disability

    Time frame: At the beginning

    Method of assessment - the neck pain disability index

  10. Disability

    Time frame: 5 weeks

    Method of assessment - the neck pain disability index

  11. Disability

    Time frame: 3 months

    Method of assessment - the neck pain disability index

  12. catastrophizing

    Time frame: at beginning

    Method of assessment - Pain catastrophising scale

  13. catastrophizing

    Time frame: 5 weeks

    Method of assessment - Pain catastrophising scale

  14. catastrophizing

    Time frame: 3 months

    Method of assessment - Pain catastrophising scale

  15. fear of movement

    Time frame: At the beginning

    method of assessment - the Tampa Scale

  16. fear of movement

    Time frame: 5 weeks

    method of assessment - the Tampa Scale

  17. fear of movement

    Time frame: 3 months

    method of assessment - the Tampa Scale

  18. Knowledge of pain neurophysiology

    Time frame: at beginning

    method of assessment - scale; the neurophysiology of pain questionnaire

  19. Knowledge of pain neurophysiology

    Time frame: 5 weeks

    method of assessment - scale; the neurophysiology of pain questionnaire

  20. Knowledge of pain neurophysiology

    Time frame: 3 months

    method of assessment - scale; the neurophysiology of pain questionnaire

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Aveiro University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Pain Neuroscience Education and Exercise Versus Exercise for University Students With Chronic Idiopathic Neck Pain: a Randomized, Controlled and Single Blind Study

Important dates

Study start
2015
Primary completion
2016
Study completion
2016
First posted
Dec 5, 2017
Registry last updated
Dec 5, 2017

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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