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Completed

NCT Number: NCT00615732

Qigong and Exercise for Neck Pain in Adults (QENA)

The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of qigong for the treatment of chronic neck pain compared to exercise therapy and waiting list group.

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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

20 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center

Berlin, 10117, Germany

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • clinical diagnosis of chronic neck pain since at least 6 months and complaints for a maximum duration of 5 years
  • neck pain more prominent than other pain in the spine
  • average pain intensity of the last 7 days more or equal to 40 mm measured by a visual analogue scale (VAS 0 - 100 mm)
  • normal mobility of the cervical spine
  • intellectual and physical ability to participate in the study
  • informed consent

Exclusion criteria

  • cervical pain related to malignancy
  • cervical pain due to an accident
  • inflammatory joint disorders
  • previous spine surgery
  • protrusion/prolapse of a spinal disk, spondylolisthesis, with radicular symptomatology
  • actually doing or planning to do other regular physical exercise during the study with possible positive effects on neck pain - such as swimming, yoga, pilates, tai chi, etc.
  • use of pain drugs for other diseases (> 1x/week)
  • pregnancy
  • severe chronic or acute disease interfering with therapy attendance
  • alcohol or substance abuse
  • participation in another clinical trial in the last 6 months before study entry

Treatment and study plan

Qigong

Procedure

18 therapy sessions, during the first 3 months once a week, month 4 to 6 once every second week

Exercise therapy

Procedure

18 therapy sessions, during the first 3 months once a week, month 4 to 6 once every second week

Primary outcomes

  1. average pain intensity during the last 7 days measured on a visual analogue scale (VAS)

    Time frame: baseline, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPAD, Wheeler 1999)

    Time frame: baseline, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months

  2. health related quality of life (SF-36)

    Time frame: baseline, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months

  3. patient expectation and self efficacy (questionnaire)

    Time frame: Baseline, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months

  4. therapist's expectation

    Time frame: baseline, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months

  5. undesired effects

    Time frame: 3, 6, 12, and 24 months

  6. semi-structured interviews to detect changes due to therapy and to assess the used questionnaires

    Time frame: 3 and 6 months

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Charite University, Berlin, Germany

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effectiveness of Qigong and Exercise Therapy in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain

Acronym: QENA

Important dates

Study start
2008
Primary completion
2009
Study completion
2009
First posted
Feb 14, 2008
Registry last updated
Jul 10, 2012

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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